Let The Best Man Win
by CatchingLightningx
Summary: Gabriella Montez breaks up with her boyfriend. But when she starts to develop a more genuine relationship with East High Wildcat’s Troy Bolton what will he think or more so what would he do?
1. Emotions

**Disclaimer: **I do now own anything to do with High school musical, Kenny Ortega. Or anything to do with it. The only thing I own is the plot!

**Authors Note: Hiii it's me again! First of all I'd like to say I want to thank one of my friends for helping me with the plot. I got this idea while she was telling me about one of her realtionships but you don' really need to know that! Secondly, I know that this chapter is confusing. But it will all come out don't worry. This isn't going to be a full blown story like Just can't walk away. I originally did want to do that but then I decided that half of the story would just be filled with fillers. So it's going to be fast paced and I don't exactly know how many chapters it will be. I'll update it when I can, but that all depends in which story you all want me to update more? So really it's all in you're hands. This stories rated M because of explicit language and other things that may crop up in the story I aren't exactly sure yet! So help me out guys and press that review button as soon as you've read it! It means alot. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy** **Let The Best Man Win.**

* * *

Gabriella Montez had a secret.

And it was a secret she carried with her every day.

And if anyone found out she was sure to be put into her box and buried quicker than you could say Albuquerque.

Which was where she lived. It was a small town, somewhere in the world. Her world to be exact. Her whole life was living there. Well she didn't have much of a life. She only had one person that she would consider her life. And he was sitting right infront of her.

It wasn't right. It was never meant to happen. But it did. And she couldn't help but to continue. She knew it was wrong, she really did. But it was one of them situations when you're head says something but your heart feels something and does something completely different.

That's how she explained it anyways.

Not that anyone would ever ask.

Well apart from her best friends.

"And what would that be Miss Montez?" She finally realised she was sitting in her psychology class. And she had completely zoned out. Great. It was nearly lunchtime on a Friday. What else would the teacher expect? She hated Gabriella anyways.

Her golden blonde hair which was curled messily draped all the way down to her breasts. And her almost black eyes stared at Gabriella with her chestnut coloured eyebrows rose. Well.... at least Gabriella had eyebrows that matched her hair colour! That was the best that she could come up with? How horrific. The teacher's glossed lips were pursed together almost in a pout? Aimed cockily at Gabriella. The woman was sickly thin. It had to be a size zero skinny. But she was also curved, Gabriella didn't get it. She had rounded breasts and a butt that stuck out. But she was still sickly thin? Stupid, stupid woman! She was wearing a beige casual dress. It fell perfectly on her frame and her long skinny legs seemed to go on for miles and miles and miles. And her black heels made her all the more taller to Gabriella who was only what barely over 5 foot? And the woman's outfit was dusted off with a long pendent that ended above her belly button. All of this made Gabriella come to a conclusion....

Who the fuck dressed like that for work?

Someone who was trying to impress the guys in her classes. And, fuck it worked. All of the guys in the school just practically stopped breathing when she walked past them and if they were sitting in the front row in her class? They would practically be drooling. It was funny that all of the girls were coincidently sitting at the back of the room?

All Gabriella knew was that she despised the woman.

The woman she had come to know as Miss Marsh.

"Miss Montez..." She added for a second time, her high pitched tone was forceful as it bored into Gabriella's little ears.

"Um, the psychosexual stages of development are made up of the oral stage, the anal stage the phallic stage, the latency stage and the genital stage." The deep voice entered her ears. She turned her head to the left and felt her black curls drape over her olive skin.

And that was her boyfriend.

Ashley Tate.

He smiled brightly at her and she smiled weakly. At least he had saved her right?

"Thank you Mr Tate. Mr Bolton what do you think about Sigmund Freud." Funny enough. Mr _Bolton_ was sitting on the front row, right in her line of view as she rested her butt against the wooden desk almost seductively. Did she mention how much she fucking hated her?

But then perfection lifted his perfect head up. He sat up right in his chair, even just the back of his chestnut hair that was styled alone just made her heart speed up. She saw his perfect defined built shoulders shrug upwards. "I think he was a freak that was obsessed with sex."

A round of laughter burst out around the classroom, her own sweet laughter broke out of her mouth and she earned a glare from her boyfriend who was sitting beside the window, 2 rows over from her, and 1 seat infront of her.

"Yeah I agree with that Miss M." The god like's best friend added. He was sitting behind Troy Bolton. His springy afro which had a life of its own moved forward as did his body and his coloured hand reached onto Troy's hair. Damn if only she was in arms length of him.

As soon as her giggles had stopped forming from her mouth she felt an object placed in her skirt pocket start to vibrate violently, she reached down slyly and almost groaned in annoyance when she read the name on the front of the screen.

_ASHLEY_

She didn't even want to press the button, but she was sure that he would be watching her. Like he always was. She looked down at the screen under her desk.

_I can't wait to see you tonight x_

She smiled slightly and used her skills to type on the cell phone while the horrible specimen at the front of the class was ranting on about Freud. Her eyes drifted to the clock, the long black hand pointed to the number 10 and the little black hand pointed between the 11 and the 12. At least she only had 5 minutes left to sit in this fucking hell hole.

Her text to her 'boyfriend' had read. _What's happening tonight? _

And if it was on cue barely a minute later her thigh started to buzz underneath the table. She pulled the cell phone out and looked at his reply.

_I thought you could come round? I've barely seen you. I miss you babe_

She didn't like him calling her babe. She didn't like him calling her anything. She sighed and typed back a reply. _I'll see what I can do._

Her deep chocolate eyes shifted over to his figure. He was good looking, gorgeous, she would give him that. He was tall, not that you could see that right then. But he was over 6 feet tall. He towered over her and he almost had to pick her up just so she could kiss him. He had almost black hair, just maybe a shade lighter than her own and it was spiked and gathered slightly at the front. His figure was to die for; she used to think so anyway. He played football so he was extremely built. His arms almost crushed her when he put his arms around her. His apple coloured eyes always seemed to be on her. It was if when she was having a conversation with anyone and he was over at the other end of the classroom, or cafeteria his eyes would always be on her.

Annoyance had now risen in her small body. She could feel that the red had collected around her irises, which of course meant danger. That was the thing about her. She was sweet, she was kind, and you could go to her with any kind of problem. But you didn't want to get on Gabriella Montez's bad side. She had the temper of a raging banshee. She felt tense. She felt like all of her defined muscles had shrunken in her body. But that was calmed when a high pitched voice drilled through her ears.

"Calm down." The whisper came from at the side of her and immediately Gabriella's body calmed. He could notice couldn't he? If he was watching her all of the time he was bound to know when she was annoyed. But he usually just let her be to let her calm down. When they had first started going out over a year ago he hadn't let her cool off. It resulted in a black eye.

Gabriella turned her head to the side slightly to be greeted by a pair of soothing brown eyes. Lighter than Gabriella's though. Much lighter, they were a more hazel colour, but the brown was more dominating than the green. Her new brunette hairstyle still looked weird to Gabriella. Yesterday she was bright blonde, blonder than blonde and today? Her hair was a rich brown. But it made her skin look more tanned. And it didn't make her look as plastic. But she was also one of her best friends.

Sharpay Evans.

She was _very_ high maintenance. And filthy rich, but underneath all of the money and the demands she was a down to earth, sweet, kind girl. Gabriella had been friends with her since 3rd grade along with her other best friend Taylor. Of course Taylor and Sharpay knew her secret.

"Can't help it..." She whispered harshly but she could feel the anger loosely slipping from her body.

"Well I told you what to do.." The new fresh brunette shrugged her shoulders as if it was obvious, but her statement must have been louder than she intended. Maybe? Because both of their voices were cut off by....

"Miss Evans. Miss Montez. How many times have I told you, if I see you muttering in my class one more time it'll be detention for the pair of you." Her voice was just irritating. Did she actually just say something then because all Gabriella heard was yadda yadda fucking yadda!

"Whatever." Sharpay mumbled.

The familiar sound of the bell rang through her ears and Gabriella never thought she had been more relieved. As quick as she could she picked up her books and ran out of the classroom before feeling a touch on her arm. She turned to face the source of the mystery person and her breath was caught in her throat at the sight of him.

"Can I talk to you a minute?" His husky voice asked her, nothing more did she want was to obey to his command. But she couldn't, could she?

Before she had chance to talk looked down at his hand that had a grasp around her wrist.

"I think you should remove your hands from my girl don't you? Bolton." Ashley almost snarled. Troy's eyes snapped to her own. His beautiful, stunning piercing azure spheres rose with annoyance and anger. She shook her head slightly, so Ashley wouldn't see.

Ashley laced his hand through hers as if he was flaunting to the world that she was his and nobody else's. It made her want to vomit. "Um, Troy I have to go but I'll see you later."

She walked out of the classroom with Ashley behind her as if he was shielding her. Little did she see that Ashley had mouthed "you won't" to Troy and Troy was still standing there motionlessly.

All she did was keep her head low, so she wouldn't piss him off.

* * *

Troy Bolton had a secret.

It was a secret that he carried with him every day.

And the only reason nobody really knew about the secret was because he wasn't sure what would happen. He couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't end up bad. So he kept his mouth shut.

But tonight of all nights it was driving him insane.

The way that fucker had looked at him when he had spoken to Gabriella. What a fucking dick! To say Troy hated him was an understatement. They had been in a war since around 5th grade and it had been ongoing ever since. And when Troy had found out that he was going out with Gabriella? Yeah he wanted to fucking beat the shit out of him. It wasn't just because Ashley had Gabriella, well he didn't even have her. She could never be Ashley's but he just hated him even more knowing that he put his hands on her and could hold her when she was crying, it made him jealous to the pit of his stomach.

"Dude cheer up it might not happen." His cheery best friend attempted to cheer him up but it wouldn't happen. Chad's elbow rammed into Troy's ribs and Troy could feel that the alcohol was getting to Chad quicker than usual.

Troy just groaned in response. He couldn't help it though. He really couldn't. Troy Bolton and Chad Danforth had been best friends since preschool, they were practically like brothers. It was a norm that wherever Troy went Chad went too. They were practically inseparable. Always had been. Well that was until Chad had started going out with Taylor Mckessie. She was Gabriella's best friend. So it meant that wherever Chad was with Taylor, Troy ended up being there. So to say that they were close together all of the time was an understatement.

Currently? Troy was at some ass's party. He had been invited to, with his friends he should be having a good time right? But he wasn't.

"Hey Troy.." Sharpay casually greeted him and she rested her plastic cup down onto the table.

"Hey Shar you alright?" He asked. He was close with Sharpay. Really close with her, they practically told each other everything.

She also knew about his secret.

"Yeah I'm fine. Who died?" She asked with a slight sympathetic smile on her face. She'd always pick him up when he was in moods like this.

His eyebrows rose, as if he was trying to tell her. He was tired. He wanted to go home. He wanted to go to bed, but there was an ounce of hope inside of him. Just a tiny bit, telling him to hang on. "Ugh." Her distressed tone echoed through his ears as he watched her fire daggers at guys who were walking past.

"What's up?" He asked while wiping his tired face, as if he was trying to stun himself into staying awake.

"Guys" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "Now I'm a brunette? Seriously I'm like a piece of fucking meat."

Troy smirked at Sharpay's little outburst. Everybody knew that she was going out with Zeke Baylor. Zeke was on Troy's basketball team and they were tight. Sharpay and Zeke had been together for 3 years and they seemed to be going strong. And everyone knew that you didn't mess with Sharpay. Troy knew she was hot, he wasn't denying that. He did think Sharpay was hot, but they were practically best friends so he would never even think of that. He was more like a big brother to her? But then that seemed wrong saying that he thought she was hot. Damn Bolton pull it together.

"You're complaining?" Troy laughed as if it was obvious. Troy also got alot of attention from the girls. Since around sophomore year, girls had swooned over him. He knew he could probably have anyone he wanted. But he didn't. There was only one person for him.

"There's only one guy for me Troy..." Sharpay sighed, but slurred a little. Troy could tell that she was getting drunk because Sharpay only ever discussed how she really felt with help from a little friend called vodka.

"I know yeah." Troy spoke before he was interrupted by a vibration on his jean coloured thigh. He eagerly flipped the phone out and his stomach did somersaults at the name that danced across the screen.

_You can come round now x _

Troy beamed from ear to ear. "I gotta go Shar."

* * *

"TROY!" His name echoed off of the walls as he hovered over her.

Her bare chest was heaving up and down and her head was rolled back resting on the pillow. The sweat glistened on her chest, as he eyes were shut tightly and she let the orgasm take over her small being.

God he loved her. With every ounce of his being.

"God... Troy... that was..." Her angelic voice practically sung to him as her gasps for breathe evened out. He leisurely rolled off of her and unsheathed the condom from his member, throwing it into the bin at the side of the bed. Ironic. He laid back on the bed letting his skin stick to the purple bedspread.

He felt a magnetic pull towards the goddess lying beside him and before he knew it her body was lying on top of his. Well her hand was rested on his sticky chest and her calves entangled themselves with his. Her index finger started to draw invisible marks onto his skin. His own arm wrapped around her shivering figure protectively desperately trying to warm her up.

And then it sunk in.

What they had just done.

It was wrong.

It was a secret.

Gabriella Montez cheated on her boyfriend with Troy Bolton.

Every time they were together, every time they kissed or hugged or even if it was just a flirtatious smile in the corridor. He knew how much it hurt her.

But hurting her hurt him. She had to know that.

"Its okay" He reassured her and kissed the beautiful cushion of her almost black hair that was sticking to her head from all of the sweat. He then felt a warm tickle against his soft skin, almost like it was wetting his golden skin. He only thought that it was some sweat but then he started to feel it again. "Hey. It's okay."

Her small fragile body looked up and her stunning chocolate eyes shone with guilt, they leaked guilt. "I can't do this. I can't..."

Her panic was frightening. Everybody knew that when Gabriella lost it. She lost it big time. And the only people that knew about this knew that whenever she would lose it Troy would always be there to try and calm her down. "Gabi, we've tried this before. We end up in the same situation..." He referred to how many times they had put an end to their relationship. But it wasn't just about the sex. It really wasn't. He loved her, when he saw her in the corridor he just wanted to hold her and kiss her senseless.

But whenever they tried to end the situation she always ended up right back into his arms. "No. I don't mean you, I mean him... I just can't. It's too much." She started to push her vibrating figure off of him while the tears fell down her face.

Troy hated when she got like this, so distressed. She always told him that she couldn't do this anymore. And she always got herself into such states. He just never thought that tonight would be one of them nights. "Gabi, he'll find out okay. When the times right you know that. We've talked about that."

She shook her head and the red rose in her chocolate orbs. But not of sadness, of anger. "What Troy? When's the time gonna be right? It's never gonna be right. I have to tell him."

Never had he seen her so determined. But as much as her tired body was rebelling against her she was wrestling to get away from him. "Gabi. Stop okay." He tried to coax her and forced her body back down to his but pulled up her tired face to look into his eyes. As if trying to tell her through his eyes that it was all going to be okay. But he couldn't. There was no telling what he would do if he ever found out. And that's what scared him the most.

It wasn't him he was bothered about. Ashley could do whatever he liked with him. But even when he saw Ashley with his hands on her around school he couldn't help but feel his blood boil.

Gabriella's angelic head shook. "No. This is it. I'm gonna tell him. I'll get my cell and I'll do it now."

Troy knew that Gabriella knew that was ridiculous. She couldn't break up with her boyfriend of a year for a year, besides if she did do that he would bolt around to Gabriella's house quicker than you could say Albuquerque. And especially since Ashley knew Gabriella's mom and dad were away for the weekend she wouldn't be able to shift him for days. And if he caught Troy there? That would certainly be the end of him. "Gabriella. You can't do that you know you can't do that."

Her hysterics were rising. She looked around the room like someone was going to jump out and help her. But that's what he was there for, wasn't he? "Then what? What do you want me to do? I know you don't like him but do you want us to keep having sex being together? Without him knowing. Do you know how much this is killing me inside?"

When she finished her face contorted into a face of pain, a sob erupted from her mouth and it pierced his heart like a stab wound. "Then if we tell him. We'll tell him together. Gabriella we'll figure something out don't do this to yourself. I can't stand it." His oval shaped head shook down at her.

She shook her head to match his own. "No. We'll figure something out but I tell him on my own. I can't risk him hurting you. Tomorrow. That's when I'll tell him."

Troy could sense that her hysterics were calming down now and sleep was overpowering her. He pulled her body back to his. "The only way he could hurt me would be if he was to hurt you." But Troy couldn't help but feel his heart flutter at the fact that Gabriella would be single this time tomorrow.

And then he could claim her as his own to everyone else.


	2. Guilty Love

**A/N: Thank you for the feedback from the first chapter. I'm hoping you're going to like this one! But don't think Gabriella's a bitch ha because she really isn't! You'll know what I mean when you read the chapter. I hope you like it anyways and HAPPY EASTER! I'll try and get the next chapter of JCWA up today maybe or probably tomorrow would be more realistic but anyways I hope you like it! Like I said it's only going to be a short one so it's going to be pretty fast track! Anyways press the little review button at the bottom of the page and let me know what you think :) **

* * *

Gabriella remembered the first time she had ever regretted so much in her life that she didn't know how to take it back. It was something that she would never forget. It was one of them days where she could remember the small things of the day that you wouldn't normally remember. Especially the night, where it all came around. She could even remember what colour socks her best friend had on.

The first time she ever cheated on her boyfriend.

_She was drunk. Worse than drunk. She was absolutely hammered and she could barely move._

"_You know what just stay the fuck away from me." She screamed manically whilst knocking off a wooden clock from the mantelpiece and she was so drunk she didn't hear the crash that it made on the floor. She tried to steady herself as she walked out of the room. _

_She had to get away from him. She couldn't stand it anymore. The constant controlling. The constant needing to know where she was, the constant need to talk to her twenty four hours a fucking day! But what could she do? She couldn't break up with him could she? She knew people had issues, and Ashley had issues more than anyone else but it was really starting to annoy her. More than annoy her. She couldn't exactly put a finger on it at that minute in time but it was something beyond annoying. _

"_I can't stay away from you, you know I can't." He exclaimed. The rage was burning inside of her. She had to get out. Had to get away from him. She couldn't stand the way his apple coloured eyes were staring at her. It was too much. _

"_JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screeched. Her rage was deadly, like a banshee. Her hands were up by her face as if she was clawing at the air to dissolve her hysterics. _

"_Gabriella you have to calm down!" He put his hand on her as if that was going to calm her but she quickly shrugged it off. She used her hand to slap his from her. She didn't want him touching her. She couldn't have him touching her. _

"_GET THE FUCK OFF ME! LEAVE ME ALONE WHAT PART OF THAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" Her body was shaking from the amount of anger that was inside of her. It was overpowering. Gabriella never liked herself when she was in one of her states. But it also felt like a release for her. But scared her at the same time. _

"_I'm still taking you home." He said assertively. Ugh! What the fuck was he doing? Who the fuck did he think he was. _

"_Not a chance in hell" She spat venomously. She began to move her wobbly legs to get out of his way but his built body was in her way. "Get out of my way." _

"_Never." He almost whispered. She didn't know where she gathered her strength from but she braced his shoulders and shoved him to her right and side and his body crashed into the wall. She swung the door open and walked back out into the pandemonium that was Ashley Tate's post football win. _

"_Stay the fuck away from me." She managed to slur but she didn't see him slouched out on the floor. The music pulsated through her body as she made her way down the stairs. _

"_Gabs!" Taylor slurred and Gabriella narrowed her crimson eyes on her. The tears had fallen from her eyes from her rage. But for some reason she didn't want to stay there. She wanted to drink. She wanted to drink herself into oblivion. "Gabriella are you okay?" _

_Gabriella shrugged her shoulders that were covered by a grey jumper dress that she was wearing. "I don't wanna talk about it. Just get me a drink" Taylor nodded to her request and grabbed her a red plastic cup. "Here" Gabriella took the drink quickly and drunk it like it was a soda drink. "Ah..." She shook her head as the alcohol had burned down her throat. "Another..." _

_She moved out the red cup for Taylor to grasp which she did. "TROY!" Taylor called. And then she saw him, her best friend. Well he was her best friend but there always seemed to be more between them. The chemistry. "Look after her alright. Let this be her last one." _

_Troy seemed to nod his head as he looked over at Gabriella who was cradling her head in her hands as if she was trying to stop the headache that was going to form in the morning. "Hey. You okay?" His voice was hushed as he sat down next to her on the chrome bar stool. Gabriella extended her arm to touch his. And even though she was paralytic she could still feel tingles run up and down her spine. They did whenever she touched him. _

"_Don't ever, ever get a girlfriend. Relationships are too much hassle." She sighed as she still held her forehead in her hands her midnight curls were shielding her curls from looking into his stunning blue eyes. _

_She heard his sigh from next to her. "Ashley again huh, what's he done this time?" _

_She sighed deeply. There was something about being around him that immediately calmed her, but it kept her on the edge of her seat. It was a quality nobody else ever had possessed, not even her mother or father. "You don't wanna k..know" She slurred, the effects of the alcohol were developing alot faster than normal. Maybe she didn't have anything to eat? She didn't know. _

_Her small timid hand reached out to grab a bottle of vodka that was sitting directly next to Troy's arm. But the moment was short lived as he grabbed her arm and shunned it away. Over the alcohol she could still feel tingles, but she didn't know whether it was from the amount of excessive alcohol she had drank or the fact that Troy had just touched her. _

"_I think you've had enough." He stated boldly, grabbing the plastic cup she had clutched into her hand. He pulled it forcefully from her grasp. _

_Suddenly a wave of sickness washed over her and she began to run to the closest place she could, she barely made it up the stairs her hand was over her mouth as she could feel the acid burning up her throat she threw the white door open and crouched down at the white porcelain toilet and she felt all of the contents spill out of her mouth. _

_Within seconds she could feel a gentle hand on her back, at first she thought it was Ashley but the shivers that originated from the small gesture would tell her immediately that it wasn't Ashley. As soon as she had finished the water was streaming down her face from throwing up. Her head felt unbelievably light, her small body was shaking as the alcohol was starting to drain from her system. She gingerly reached up to the toilet paper and wiped the corners of her lips. She was still crouched over the end of the toilet, no energy to get up until she saw a glass of water being placed infront of her hazy eyes. _

"_Here." He gestured and Gabriella's shaky hand grabbed the small cup and her teeth began to chatter on the rim of it. The water overpowered the taste of vomit in her mouth. "You alright?"_

_Gabriella nodded with a lack of energy and suddenly his hand curled around her waist and she immediately caved and let her small body lean on Troy's built torso for support. Waves of pleasure ripple through her shaking frame; Troy Bolton's heart shaped lips were resting on her hair. Well if you could call it that, normal people would just say he was kissing her forehead. It was pleasure that she never felt when Ashley kissed her. "It's okay."_

_Gabriella stared up at him with her eyes, the lids were half closed. Her head felt like a thousand pounds and she could already feel the hangover setting in and she knew she definitely would be feeling it in the morning. _

"_You want me to take you home?" He whispered to her sensually, even though they were the only two in the room. _

_She shook her head and rested it on the bulge of his chest. Just enjoying the moment. Wait, what the hell was she doing? Stupid, stupid girl! She had a boyfriend for Christ sakes! And this was his bathroom that she was sitting in. It was so wrong. But why did it feel so unbelievably right?_

_She stared up at him, the heat in the room took a drastic change and it suddenly felt like they were both sitting on the sun. But her body was still shivering from the affects of her throwing up. She looked down to his lips and then up into his eyes, but before she had chance to lean in she felt his lips pushed up against hers. Nothing had ever felt as good as this. Troy was kissing her. Troy Bolton was KISSING her! She couldn't believe it. All thoughts of Ashley were stripped away from her as their lips were stuck to one another. His tongue licked at her bottom lip and she opened her mouth granting him access. Her own tongue duelled with his. The passion and heat felt like it was going to steam the windows and mirrors up in the room. After what felt like years, years of bliss. He pulled away from her roughly and then it had sunk in._

_She was a bad girlfriend. _

_She had just cheated on her boyfriend. But there was something about it being with Troy which made it seem right. Like they were destined for each other. He looked down at the floor in embarrassment and reached up to scratch the nape of his neck, making him look all the more desirable. "What? Does my breath smell that bad of puke?" She attempted to joke which earned a small chuckle from Troy. _

"_Not at all." He whispered as he touched the skin on her cheek. Why had she never felt sparks this much when Ashley had touched her? _

_It was then when Gabriella's panic started to rise. Overpowering her dizziness and she stood up and started to pace along the porcelain tiles that covered the bathroom floor. Troy was still slouched there lazily with his hand pressed up against his forehead._

"_Oh my god. Troy you and I kissed! We..." She drifted off. How could she have done this?_

"_I know, this is so fucked up." He breathed. Gabriella just paced all the more._

"_Fucked up? Fucked up! I have a boyfriend, Troy I..." Her head shook. The worst thing was that as soon as Troy's lips touched hers it just felt right. It felt like it was meant to be. _

_Destiny._

_Troy rose to his feet and suddenly Gabriella felt inferior towards him, his tall body towered over her. Not as much as Ashley's though. Gabriella came to around Ashley's chest and she came to Troy's cheekbones. _

"_It's okay. No one has to know. We can pretend like it never happened." He was attempting to calm her and Gabriella knew that. The funny thing was though, that it was working. _

"_Kiss me." She whispered sensually. Troy's body stood rigid as his face contorted into confusion, as if he was trying to relive what she had just said in her mind. _

"_Gab..." He started, his eyebrows were narrowed. _

"_Just kiss me kiss me now." _

* * *

"We need to talk."

It was a phrase that Gabriella never wanted to use, and never had really used before. There was just something about it, it was so cliché. There were three rules that Gabriella followed to which you'd know that you'd be breaking up with your boyfriend/girlfriend; either that or it wasn't good. Rule number one was that you'd never start a break up with 'we need to talk' because immediately it was bad. The second rule was you'd never say 'we should still be friends, because for obvious reasons it would never work there would be the awkwardness and then the constant reminder that the two people went out. And the third rule, absolute essential rule was you could never, ever say 'it's not you, it's me"

"Um, okay. Is everything okay?" Ugh, there he went again. The constant need to know if she was alright, yeah she knew he was only caring but fuck, it drove her crazy. His arm was over her shoulders protectively, but he wasn't trying to protect her, he was just flaunting that she was his but she wasn't! It was like if he were to be a dog, he had pissed all over her every day, all day marking his territory. And she had got tired of the constant smell of piss. Okay, bad metaphor.

"Hmm, you could say that." She murmured distantly. She knew this was going to break his heart. But what about her heart? It wasn't big enough for the two of them. Infact she didn't want Ashley there, he had never belonged there. Troy's place was so big in her heart that it overpowered any other chance of anyone taking just a tiny piece of it.

She wasn't a bad person, really she wasn't. Okay well maybe she was she had cheated on her boyfriend for 6 months but she was in love with Troy, sure it didn't make it right but.... okay so she was a bad person. She was the worst person. She would have broken up with him right around 6 months ago, when she first cheated on Ashley that fatal night, but she couldn't could she? He had problems. Problems that she thought that she could help solve. But she couldn't.

She was a kind girl, a really kind girl. Her heart was warm and she tried to do everything that she could to help other people, that was why she had been with Ashley for the past year. People had told her to run but she thought that if she stayed with him he would be okay. But now she was in too deep. She had tried to break up with him before, really she had. But the words hadn't really left her mouth.

Did Troy ever get mad with her for this? Yeah sometimes he did. He would get insanely jealous whenever he would see Ashley's hands on her and Gabriella knew that was crazy because every time Ashley had his hands on her it made her want to vomit. Pretty much right now.

Okay Gabriella, just say it, just spit it out!

"This isn't working." She managed to blurt out; her voice was quiet and timid. She was fiddling with her thumbs in her lap. Finding it so much easier to look at than his eyes.

She did care for him, she did. She wasn't one of those people that cheated on their boyfriends just out of spite and because she didn't give a rat's ass about him. Because she did, the reason why she had stayed with him for so long was for him! Not for her, she had practically drove herself insane with guilt.

"What the movie? Because I can change it if you..." He just wasn't getting it! She had insisted she were to go to his house to break up with him because she could simply get away, whereas if she was at her own house... well it was safe to say she wouldn't be able to get away.

"No!" She closed her eyes to try and contain her anger that was boiling inside of her. "Us. We aren't working. Not anymore."

She could imagine his green eyes jumping from their sockets in fright, and his body sprung up from the couch and he stood infront of her as if he was in disbelief. "What? What do you mean? Of course we're working! We're meant to be together you know that right?" By this point he had practically thrown himself to the floor and his hands were rested on her slim thighs.

She shook her head, as tears of guilt rose in her spheres. "No" She whispered as a stray tear fell from her eye. "We're not meant to be together. I don't believe that."

For the first time she looked up from her lap and looked into his eyes, she felt like she could see his entire soul just by looking into his eyes. Simply because they were broken, she felt a stab at her heart. She couldn't do this! But she had to! For herself and for the guy that she loved. So unbelievably much.

"Gabi, listen to me what is it? Is there something going on? You know we need to be together you and me right?" His voice laced panic, and fright.

She shook her head rapidly. She should be getting angry, right? But she wasn't. She just felt guilty, she wanted to run away to Troy's house and let him cradle her and tell her everything was going to be okay.

She went to Troy's house all of the time, as his mom and dad knew about their relationship. At first they had been reluctant but they understood now why Gabriella couldn't leave Ashley and that they were in love. Which they were. Unlike her own parents, she couldn't tell them that she was cheating on her boyfriend of a year with another guy. Neither of her parents liked Ashley but that was besides the point. She just felt different around Troy's parents, she felt more comfortable with them knowing rather than her own family would. Maybe it was because Gabriella's mom and dad would have Ashley over and then in the next breath Troy would be there? Would they think she was a whore? Of course they would, she would after all. She and Ashley never really had sex. Whenever they did have sex she would feel dirty and meaningless. They hadn't had sex in over 4 months. Most people would say that would indicate that an adolescent relationship wasn't working? But Ashley would have probably married Gabriella and if they never had sex he wouldn't see that as a bad thing.

"No nothing's happened. I've just been thinking and I can't do this anymore." Her breathing was becoming infrequent as her panic was rising. She was a terrible person. She really was.

"Can't do what? Baby talk to me?!" He exclaimed.

There was nothing more than she hated was when Ashley would call her baby. She wasn't his baby! The only two people she loved calling her baby was her father of course because she was his only baby. And Troy, because she was his baby. In a different sense of course. But whenever Troy would call her baby, she would get a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"This." She slung her head back as the word left her mouth. "The constant controlling, the wanting to know where I am, who I'm talking to. Fuck, whenever we're with Chad or Zeke you have to be there like monitoring the conversation. I can't do it. I just can't" By the end of her little rant she was breathing heavily. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her chest.

"Gab..." He started to say her name but she stood up from her seat on the couch. His hands fell from their place on her thigh as she moved her body around so she was now standing facing Ashley's back.

"We can still be friends though okay? I just can't do the whole relationship thing right now." She reached out and touched his shoulder blade. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"GABRIELLA!" The sound of small pitter patters and echo's of her name caused her to stir in her sleep.

"GABRIELLA!" The voice came again. She stretched her body a little before she felt an arm tighten around her body.

Was she a bad person for having her lover around at her house a little over 6 hours after she had broken up with her boyfriend? Of course she was. But she never thought it was going to matter until she heard echo's of her name outside of the house. She didn't even have to think twice to know who it was.

"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL YOU COME OUT HERE!" His voice was shaking and Gabriella groaned loudly before she felt Troy shift next to her, feeling his toasty skin press up against herself.

"Fuck, what does he want?" Gabriella groaned with her eyes still closed.

Troy inhaled deeply as he tried to bring himself from his sleep state of mind. "I don't know probably someone that's in my arms right now. Just a guess."

That was the thing about Troy, he was such a morning person. The minute he would be woken up he would be cheery. Where as in Gabriella? It was a sin if anyone woke her up. She was like a cave woman on a morning.

"GABI!" Her stomach turned at him calling her Gabi. She hated it. This caused her to jolt out of bed and a growl was emitted from her throat. Troy chuckled lightly before caressing the skin on her arm that the heat had soon drifted from as soon as she had stepped out of the bed.

She opened her balcony door and saw him standing there, in her back yard. The dim lighting in the garden illuminated Ashley's body and his face. His face looked broken; tears were streaming down his face. An annoyed sigh escaped from her lips. Sure she had just broken up with him. But he had just fucking woke her up! It didn't matter that there was only a door separating her lover and her ex boyfriend. She didn't even care about that.

"What do you want?" She almost screamed. She knew the neighbours would probably be complaining but she didn't care. She didn't even know what time it was.

"YOU!" His extremely deep masculine voice called, as he pointed up towards her. "I'm sorry! I'm a dick I know that. But I love you so much. You can't leave me. You just can't!"

Gabriella shook her head and her black curls that were tied up in a loose ponytail whipped against her shoulder. "I CAN!" Gabriella groaned, her body was exhausted. Her and Troy hadn't even had sex but she was just extremely tired. Emotionally tired of Ashley's games. "Ashley please just go home."

Gabriella had her eyes closed in annoyance, half of her just wanted to go back into her bedroom, close the door and just go back to sleep. But she owed him more than that didn't she? After all she had cheated on him continuously for six months. "I can't go home. Not until I know we're going to be okay."

Gabriella didn't know what else to do, her hands were in the depths of her black hair pulled in frustration. "I can't tell you that we're going to be okay. Because there's no us anymore Ashley. I'm sorry."

Her voice had grown quieter, but Ashley didn't seem to be please with her reply. "Gabriella! If we don't get back together you don't know what I'll do."

This caused her eyes to snap up, her eyes turned dark, almost black. "Are you threatening me?"

Ashley's eyes enlarged as if he could tell what was going to happen. "I'm just saying that I can't live without you. I need you! I can't live without you" He repeated.

Gabriella sighed deeply before turning on her heels and starting to make her way back in to her inviting home. "Goodnight Ashley."

She walked back into the bedroom to see Troy sat on the edge of the bed with his fists clenched, his face was tight. Gabriella closed the door before she could hear the muffled screams of her name.

"I can't fucking stand that guy y'know that? Troy whispered, as if his bad mood had faded the second she had walked into the room.

"I know. I'm sorry" She whispered back and stood with her head slung back in exhaustion.

"Come here baby." He beckoned her, she immediately melted and positioned herself on his lap, Her head fell reflexively into the crook of his neck and he stroked the skin on her back lovingly. "I swear to god if he goes anywhere near you to try and hurt you, he'll never look at you again."

Gabriella smiled sadly and nodded. "He'll never hurt me." She shrugged her shoulders lightly. "He loves me right?" The tears had welded up into her eyes.

"Not as much as I love you." He pressed an electrifying kiss to her temple.

"Love you too. Everything's gonna be okay isn't it?" She murmured in desperation.

"With you by my side? Of course everything's gonna be fine."

But deep down, she knew it was going to be far from fine.


	3. I Belong To Me

**A/N: Oh dear. I'm like peering my head around a corner now! I'm SO sorry I haven't updated in over a month I think. I hope I haven't lost any readers, this seems soo odd doing this! It's exam season for me so I've been getting my head down and revising my little head off as a majority of them are resits! And I've had alot of personal problems etc. Anyways, like you want to know! But I know this chapter is abit boring and I did really just throw this all together in a few days. So putting all that aside I've missed out on weeks worth of reviews so let me know what you're thinking it's really important to me!**

**And as for Just Can't Walk Away. I will be updating that some time in the near future because I'm currently working on that and I don't have any exams for 2 weeks now. So I hope you guys don't hate me.**

* * *

Days had passed. A whole 4 days to be exact. Infact a whole 96 hours had passed since Ashley had shown up at her door. And nothing had got any easier. She would have thought that it may have got that little bit more comfortable to be around him. She thought that if she would pass him in the hallway, then maybe she could give him a slight smile and he would return it. Like civilized human beings. But of course nothing ever went right for Gabriella Montez. But word had spread like wild fair that Gabriella was single. A free agent.

Guys would be passing her in the hallway and staring at her with lust in their spheres. They would be looking at her as if they were fantasizing about her. One guy even approached her in the corridor and pinched her ass. What the hell was that? But of course, she wasn't free was she. She was tied to Troy Bolton. And of course she never wanted to be set free. But she would also be tied to Ashley wouldn't she? Every time he would pass her in the hallway he would rush over to her and tell her how worthy he was to be with her.

"Ugh. Why can't it just be 3 already?" Gabriella moaned as she threw her head back and heard the 'clang' as it connected with the metal locker behind her.

"He's bothering you again huh?" Sharpay's high pitched voice asked her, but she surprisingly had a grin on her face.

Gabriella sighed deeply before looking at the brunette. She ran a frustrated hand up to her forehead and dragged the skin as she trailed it down her cheeks. "I wouldn't call it bothering, per say."

Sharpay's slight chuckle rang throughout her ears. "Oh please. I don't know why you stayed with him y'know."

She did. And only a few people knew why she did. She shrugged her petite shoulders. "You do."

Sharpay closed her eyes and turned to face Gabriella. "I know. I just sometimes wonder whether he told you that because he wanted you to stay with him."

Gabriella shook her head. "Nah." And then somewhere off into the distance she saw her favourite person walking down the hall, he was swaggering towards her, it was as if everything had come to a halt and all she could see was him walking towards her in slow motion. "Believe me it was true." She commented distantly. His eyes locked on hers and sent the butterflies soaring through her stomach.

"Do you ever wonder what t would be like if you hadn't' have stayed with him?" The brunette asked curiously. The truth was Gabriella never stayed with Ashley because she couldn't get herself out of the relationship, well she definitely could but there was always that one thing. One thing that she would always have in her memory and her conscience. But where would she get living in the past? She had to move on right?

"All of the time." She sighed deeply. Her angel was just about to stand infront of her but she felt an ice cold touch on her arm, she turned around slowly and was met by a pair of apple spheres. "Hey."

Gabriella gnawed the side of her cheek. "Hi." Where would she get with being awful to him?

"Gabriella." A stern masculine voice broke out in her ears. But she didn't even need to turn around to know who's that voice was. But the annoyed look, as though his stomach was writhing in disappointment and disgust actually confirmed who it was.

Annoyingly Ashley turned around to meet the stunning Bolton gaze, only it wasn't how he looked at her. It was like he was out for blood. But Troy was in the wrong right? He was the one that she had cheated on her boyfriend of a year with. "I think you better leave her alone Bolton don't you?"

Gabriella didn't even have the energy to turn around and tell them to stop it. She was tired of it. The constant conflict between the two of them. She didn't actually know what she would do if Ashley ever found out about Troy and her. But she didn't know that she wouldn't have to wait much longer.

"Fuck Tate man, you don't own her. She can talk to anyone she wants." Gabriella still had her back turned to the two squabbling boys, they sounded like fucking kids! Troy seemed to be tired aswell the groan in his voice was recognisable.

"Yeah well I'm talking to her right now alright?" Ashley sneered at the love of her life.

Gabriella turned her body around to face the two boys who she knew were in love with her. Big headed? It may sound it but she wasn't. But were they? Of course they were. But before Gabriella had a chance to open her mouth to express her view of how childish the two of them were being. A high pitched chuckle filled her ears. She turned to see the newly found brunette with her back leant against the lockers with her hand stifling the laughs that were coming from her mouth.

"What you laughing at?" Ashley scoffed. That was the one thing about her ex boyfriend and her best friend. They hated each other. With a passion. Sharpay had always been the one to encourage Gabriella to leave him, to end things with him but of course Sharpay knew that she couldn't.

"Just the two of you. Thinking that you all own Gabriella she's not your property she is a human being you know. And Ashley you still think you have a chance. Honey please. But whatever I gotta go." The thing was with Sharpay she wasn't bothered if she hurt Ashley's feelings, but Gabriella was. But Sharpay turned on her hot pink heels and began swaying down the corridor, and heads were turning to look at her as she walked.

"So how you doin?" Ashley continued talking like Troy wasn't there. Gabriella sighed in annoyance before rolling her coffee orbs.

"I'm good." She responded sadly. She had never actually meant for anyone to get hurt. Especially because Ashley was such a nice guy, she respected that but she couldn't stand it anymore. The only guy she wanted was the one standing in a baggy white t shirt and a pair of faded denim jeans that still made him look irresistible.

"Tate don't you think it's time to run along now man?" Troy spoke patronisingly, using his index finger and middle finger to imitate a running action.

"Bolton, why don't you just fuck off?" Ashley spoke through gritted teeth. This time Ashley walked stiffly towards Troy.

"Ooooh" Troy almost laughed though a cool breath, clearly Troy wasn't getting angry by this. But they way he had a playful smirk on his face was causing fury to run through Gabriella's veins.

Gabriella felt a rough hand touch the soft skin that covered her forearm. "Come on Gabriella." Ashley started to drag her away from the spot she was standing in. "I wanna talk to you."

She tried to wiggle out of his tough grasp and saw Troy take a protective step infront to get to her. "What?" She raised her voice. Her slim brows were frowned. "Get off me." But Ashley carried on dragging her; there was a burning sensation where he had a tough grip on her. But to anyone else it would look like they were just walking friendly down the hallway. Gabriella forced her strength into pulling her small arm away from him. "I said get off me."

"Hey Tate, I think you need to remove your hands from her." Troy's face had paled and she could almost see the anger that had now risen in his system, as if Ashley was going to hurt her. Gabriella knew he would never hurt her. Not physically anyways. But not physically anyways.

She knew this wasn't good. Her anger was rising. And she couldn't calm herself down, her fists were clenched and almost turning white from the impact of her temper, her short brittle nails were digging into the skin on her hand, almost drawing blood but she couldn't feel it. Ashley looked at Gabriella, and he must have noticed that the brown in her eyes had been replaced with black almost with a ring of crimson around, fire.

"Shit." Ashley almost cursed himself. "Look what you did Bolton. This is your entire fault."

Troy laughed slightly. "Right." He whispered. "So I'm not the controlling insecure prick of a boyfriend am I?"

Ashley took a defining step forward in Troy's direction. "And you think she'd go anywhere near you? Just think Bolton I've touched a hell of a lot more than you ever will."

Gabriella's eyes widened in shock. Yeah, they had had sex. But only in the first 5 or 6 months of the relationship. Because of Ashley now they couldn't have sex and she wouldn't have let herself because of the guy that she loved was standing infront of her. His usually stunning blue eyes had turned grey. His pearling whites were gritted together.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Gabriella screamed. She figured that the three of them must have been late for class as the corridors were deserted.

"Gab..." Ashley began.

"Gabi..." Troy spoke in panic. He took a step forward and attempted to place his large hands on her bare biceps. But she moved before he had a chance.

"NO! NO!" Gabriella held her hands up, as if she was surrendering to the fury that had taken over her. "WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS GONNA DO? HUH?"

Troy reached out his hand to touch her but it wasn't going to do anything. She slapped it away in fury. "YOU BOTH TALK ABOUT ME LIKE I'M SOME SORTA FUCKING POSSESSION BUT I'M NOT OKAY?"

She turned her body to face Ashley. "YOU!" She pointed at him. "Need to accept the fact that it's fucking over alright? Go talk to your fucking shrink or something about it because I don't wanna hear it." Her voice had calmed, only because she didn't want to get herself suspended for being out of class, and screaming obscenities in the school.

"And you." She pointed towards Troy who had his head hung low. "You need to stop thinking you can fight all of my fucking battles for me. Because I'm a big girl and I can fucking handle myself. Whatever, I'm done."

And with that, Gabriella walked down the corridor ignoring the calls of her name.

She had to get out of there.

* * *

He had no idea where she was.

And it was driving him crazy.

He needed to know that she wasn't smashing things up in a rage. When Gabriella was not in a rage he would know where to find her, straight away. But Gabriella when she had seen red. She was unpredictable; he didn't have a clue where she would be. Would she have gone home? No that was silly. But was it? He had tried calling her but there was no answer.

What if she had done something totally stupid and drove in her state, and crashed the car. No. He had to know where she was.

"So what happened this time dude?" Chad's deep voice rang through his ears bringing him from his trance.

Troy let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. He let his hands run over the skin on his bronze face. "You don't even wanna know."

Chad chuckled lightly. "Kinda why I asked."

He sighed and groaned holding his face in his hands. "She lost it." He threw his head back to rest on the chair, and shook his head slightly. "And now I don't know where she is."

He could imagine Chad's eyebrows scrunching at this. "What Gabriella lost it?"

Troy nodded slightly. "Uh huh." Was all he managed to get out. "Have you seen her?"

He moved in his chair so he was now standing, he had to find her. He knew that she wouldn't be in danger because once she was on a rage nobody would stand in her way but he just wanted to tell her that he was sorry, that he didn't mean to.

Ashley.

That boy all he did was cause fucking problems and Troy was sick of it. Why would he want Gabriella anyways? Wait that was a stupid question. But why couldn't he just leave her alone. She had ended things and that was that. But then again if Gabriella was to break things off with the two of them he wouldn't go down without a fight. And a big bloody one at that.

"Nah man sorry. I can have a look for her if you want? This shit hole isn't that big enough for her to hide." The truth was that Gabriella and Chad were like best friends. Infact they were. They had lived next door to one another since they were both infants and had grown close. That's how Troy and Gabriella's relationship was at first. And then they fell in love. He didn't regret it though, never. He had just wondered sometimes if she would have been better off with Ashley. Not that he wished he didn't have her, because he wouldn't have been able to live without her. But....

"Nah man it's good. She'll come around when she wants to you know how she is." Troy sighed deeply. What good would it do if he found her? Yeah he might have been able to calm her down but she would have something to say first and maybe throw a few things, like she had done before. He had the bruises to prove it. But she would have give him a lecture and it was something that he really had begun to grow tired of.

How was he expected to like him? Be friends with him? When he caused her so much pain. Caused him so much pain aswell, he didn't like to admit it but he did. Every time he saw Gabriella cry over it or panic over it, it would crack his heart. That was owned by her.

"Call her." Chad spoke genuinely. With his eyes almost popping out of the sockets as if he was commanding him to call her.

Troy pulled his cell phone from his jean pocket and began to dial the familiar number that he knew so well. He heard the familiar beep tone, and then he heard the familiar sound of her voice that just about made him go week at the knees. "_Hey this is Gabriella, so obvious that I'm not here right now but leave a message and I'll get back to you" _

Troy sighed deeply. If he knew anything about Gabriella it would be that she would have seen his name flashing up on her cell and would have automatically let it go to voicemail. Damn she was so stubborn. "Baby... it's me. Look I know you're pissed at me okay but just call me when you get this. I just need to know that you're okay."

He sighed deeply into the microphone of the cell and slid it down, but still lingered looking at the picture on the screen. He pressed his thin lips to the speaker as if he was kissing her.

"No luck?" Chad asked with hope glistening in his orbs.

He shook his head sadly. He ran his hand up to the nape of his neck.

"If you were Gabriella and you were pissed and wanted to get away from me? Where would you go?"

* * *

Gabriella thought she was a nice person. She was always there for her friends, she put up with Ashley and his clinging and his possessiveness and the fact that he didn't trust her for a whole year. She had also put up with the fact that she had betrayed Ashley practically every day for the past 6 months and she had lived with that guilt for the past 6 months.

But the second she saw red it was how she dealt with it all.

It was funny how she could get so angry over such little things. How she could want blood. And at that moment in time she wanted Ashley's and Troy's both mixed in together. How dare they talk about her like she was some kind of fucking possession! Like she was a puppy or something.

There was one thing that Gabriella hated and that was being treated like a child, and people talking blatantly about her when she was standing right there. Like them two had. Two people who were meant to love her. Although she didn't want the love from one of them. Call her a bitch? Yeah of course she knew.

And now?

She was sitting on her door step after walking out of school, listening to a voicemail from Troy from what seemed like the 100th time and what was worse? It was raining cats and dogs. And she didn't have a key to get in to the house.

She didn't know what time it was, it was like her body was a sponge because all of the water was drenching her small figure. What the hell was she doing? As soon as she had had a rage she felt like a complete and utter tool. Why was she here? Why wouldn't she just go back to school? No. No she couldn't do that. That would be like admitting defeat and running back to him. But if he came to her she wouldn't turn him away, would she?

She ran her hands through her soaked hair. And she pulled out her cell phone and looked at the voicemail that was waiting for her. She could have just called him back? No. Like she said she couldn't do that. What was she going to do now? God why was she so irrational. Sit on the doorstep for 3 hours waiting for her mom?

"GABRIELLA!" A masculine voice entered her ears over the slicing rain.

She spat the stray pieces of water from her mouth and turned her head mechanically to see Chad sitting in his car, and no doubt he was with the guy she didn't want to see. But she did want to see him didn't she? Gabriella will you just make your mind up! She wanted to admit defeat, get up and run to him and fall into Chad's arms and let him take care of her. But the irrational side just _had _to take over. She got up and attempted to run away, her long legs were trying to stride but it seemed that the rain and wind on the opposite force to her was slowing her down. She heart a door slam in the distance and then 2 seconds later another one.

Shit.

She knew there was no point now, but she couldn't physically slow herself down. It wasn't until she felt two muscular arms slip around her waist and lift her from the ground. She attempted to kick and punch. What the hell was she doing? Why couldn't she control any form of her body from what she actually wanted it to do. But it seemed that she kicked too hard and even though she didn't need to question who's arms were around her waist but she felt all gravity slip from beneath her until she felt her back collide with a marble torso.

It was as if all of the irrational thoughts had been knocked from her body the second that she fell to the ground. And before she knew it a laugh escaped from her mouth. Mountains of giggles erupted from her throat as she rolled her body on the grass she was lying on. In the background she could hear the course of masculine chuckles from behind her. The rain was still thrashing down upon her and there was no doubt that she would have flu or something the next morning.

"HEY SHTHEADS! MR COYLE'S GONNA WHIP YOUR ASSES IF YOU DON'T GET UP!" Chad's amused almost annoyed voice called to the two of them.

There was suddenly an arm wavered out infront of her, as he reached for her hand. His large hand enveloped hers as he pulled her up into his chest. But then as soon as she was whisked away in his presence she remembered what he did. Was she overreacting? Of course she was. She began to walk infront of Troy back to Chad's house.

And then the shivers kicked in.

* * *

She couldn't stay still.

Gabriella was shivering from no end. Even after she had had a warm shower in which she could see the steam coming from her skin. And even if she was wearing some of Chad's sweatpants and one of his oversized tee shirts while he dried her clothes, and after that she had Chad's bed covers wrapped around her body. And still she was shaking uncontrollably.

"Here..." Chad offered a cup of what she assumed was coffee or hot chocolate and she enveloped it into her hands. She hadn't spoken to Troy in the 45 minutes that she had been here. And it seemed he felt he didn't know what to say to her. She assumed he was currently in the kitchen or maybe in the shower, she didn't know. But the funny thing was she didn't know whether she wanted him to talk to her.

"Thanks..." She muttered through her chattering teeth.

"Fuck Gabs, what are we gonna do with you huh?" Chad smiled before sitting down next to her and pulling her into his grasp, his hands were working up and down her arm to produce some kind of warmth. "You wanna go to the fire?"

Gabriella shook her tired head. It seemed that being sat outside her house for hours had had some kind of effect on her. Her small body was tired, exhausted and it was like she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Gabi..." A husky voice spoke. She didn't even need to turn her head to know who it was. She just knew.

"I'll leave you too alone." Chad informed quietly before standing up and walking out of the large living room.

She could feel her body shaking to the point that she thought she was going to fall from the edge of the couch. But after a few seconds the heat was replaced by Troy's muscular body, he circled his arm around the layers that were covering her and pulled her close to him. "You okay..?" He asked as he pressed a tender kiss to her head. Lingering there for a moment before pulling away.

Gabriella nodded silently. But this didn't seem to satisfy Troy who sighed from above her. "Look Gabi. I know you're pissed but you know I can't stand the guy."

Gabriella smiled slightly. "Yeah, I know but you still spoke about me like I was just like an ornament sitting on your mantelpiece."

Troy lowered his hand that was resting on the curve of her hip moved lower to her hip bone and he seemed to push her into him again. "I'm sorry..."

Gabriella sighed and suddenly felt a tingle in the bridge of her nose; she let the sneeze slip from her body with a slight squeal. "I know, I guess I'm sorry for being such a bitch."

He moved his head to rest on the top of her hair that was still damp from the shower. "It's okay. I never realized how hard this has all been on you."

What else did he expect? Of course she was being a bitch she knew that but you can't help who you fall in love with right? "Meh. It'll all be okay. Right?"

"That's my girl. You know that he needs to know though?" Troy explained. He had always promised her that he would always tell Ashley with her that he would never let her do it alone.

"I know. I just don't want him to know any time soon."

She had no idea that he would know sometime very soon.


	4. For Better or Worse?

**A/N: So another chapter of this one now. I hope you don't mind! I'm currently trying to work on another story aswell I've got an idea but just need to try and pursue it so bear with me with another update. Plus it's the start of summer so I've got a lot of free time on my hands now :) Review and let me know what you think?**

* * *

There was alot of things that Gabriella had never wanted to be in life.

_She had never wanted to be a high school dropout. So she had always managed her work and managed to keep on top making her a straight A student. She had never wanted to depend on her parents too much so she had got a job in a store in the mall, so she paid for all of her own clothes and bought books and stuff for school. She had never wanted to be disappointment to her family or friends so she would basically do everything her mom and dad told her, she never went past curfew she never really drunk at parties unless she would be staying out as her mom and dad didn't like her getting drunk off of her face. But the last thing, the thing that she had never thought she would ever be in her life was..._

_A cheater._

_The phrase was just so awful in itself. She didn't like the way that it sounded. The word was just so sleazy and dirty. Something she had never wanted for herself. She had never understood how one person who was committed to someone else and had feelings for this other person would be able to jeopardize that by being with someone else. _

_Gabriella felt dirty. _

_She was never one of those drunks that didn't remember anything from the night before. She was different, and as soon as she opened her eyes that morning she knew everything that had happened, it all came flooding back to her like a bad dream. But it didn't feel bad at all, that was the worst thing. The thing that felt worse to her was the fact that she was basically the one that came onto him. She could feel the strong arm wrapped around her waist and she didn't even need to question whose it was. After Gabriella had finished puking in the bathroom, Troy had insisted that he take her home. But they didn't make her house. She had ended up at his house making out with him on the couch, lucky his parents were away. But after an hour of making out he had insisted that it hadn't gone any further. But it made Gabriella an awful person to want it to go further didn't it? She had fallen asleep on the couch and Troy was behind her holding her securely to his body. _

_She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if he was drunk or not so she didn't know if he would remember. She didn't want the awkward good morning chat. And how they would have said it was totally wrong what they did and it would never happen again. And then it hit her. Their friendship would never be the same again would it? If they were best friends before this how could they go back to being the same, telling each other everything, talking about Ashley to him. _

_It would never be the same again. _

_She had to get out of there. She slowly stirred but found that space was too limited. She tried to swing her legs from the couch but suddenly felt all heat leave her body and cold air hit her small body, as she felt her whole body connect with the carpet with a 'thud'._

"_Shit..." She mumbled. _

_Gabriella could then hear a groan and wide stretch of Troy on the couch. Great. Now what was she going to do. She could almost see his face creasing in confusion. _

"_Gab?" _

_Gabriella smiled embarrassedly and stupidly before rising up from the floor to look Troy in the eye, the ceruleans bored into her chocolate brown. Gabriella laughed nervously. "Hey."_

_Troy smirked down at her; she knew she shouldn't have been so shifty, he knew her better than anyone else. Damn him. "Going somewhere?" He asked cockily._

_Gabriella shifted uncomfortably. But still stayed sitting on the ground. Her head had already started to pound from the alcohol that had dispersed from her body. The splitting pain was blinding, her hand rested up to cradle her head as she massaged it tenderly. _

"_You don't remember anything from last night?" Troy had the cocky smirk on his face and Gabriella took the time to notice that he was topless. How could he manage to stay so calm? He didn't seem to be frantic at all like she was. _

_Gabriella laughed nervously again. "I remember. Believe me." _

_The funny thing was that it wasn't awkward in the slightest. Troy was still staring down at her with his crooked cocky smirk. He motioned his head for her to come towards him. Gabriella stood up shakily suddenly forgetting the fact that just 24 hours ago he was her best friend and now? She felt like she had made out with a strange boy that she didn't know anything about. Gabriella placed herself onto the couch. Troy circled his arm around her. Oh no this was bad, really bad. But this is what he was like before wasn't it?_

"_You okay?" He whispered, even though they were the only two in the room. _

_Gabriella giggled again nervously. It was uncontrollable. "Troy?" She completely avoided the question. _

"_Yeah?" He slowly began to sway the two of them back and forth as if he was cradling her as a baby. _

"_What's gonna happen?" Gabriella asked in a timid voice. The bad thing was, was that she didn't feel like what had happened was wrong, she felt like it was so right. Oh so right. "I mean with us?" _

_Troy seemed to smirk at this and he playfully nudged her in the upper arm. "What do you want to happen?" _

_Gabriella took the opportunity to look up into the hypnotic pool of his eyes and she couldn't help but feel her own close at the emotions that were swelling over her. Feelings that she had never even felt when Ashley looked at her. How did all of this happen? _

"_I don't wanna loose you." She replied honestly. _

_Troy smiled lightly. Before running the pad of his thumb over Gabriella's cheek, which felt completely dirty knowing that it was covered in last night's make up. "Listen to me. You're not ever gonna loose me, ever okay?" _

_Gabriella could tell that he was serious. She could see it in the way that he was looking at her. It was a side that anyone rarely ever saw. "Promise me you'll be there when I'm 80 and I can't dress myself and I have to get fed through a straw?" _

_Troy pulled her small body to him so her head was now resting on his chest as he chuckled throatily. "Hey, I'll be there next to you being fed through the same straw. I promise." _

_Gabriella sighed contently and giggled slightly. There was only thing left to do. She had come to her decision, she couldn't let it slip through her fingers. She just couldn't. She knew it was wrong, she really did but she just couldn't fight it. "Troy?" _

"_Hmm?" Troy responded tiredly. _

"_What was last night to you?" Gabriella backed away from Troy slowly until she was sitting beside him but not having any contact with him."Did you just do it to piss Ashley off?"_

_Troy's face frowned. It was a norm at East High that you knew that Ashley and Troy didn't get on. They despised each other for that matter. At one point they were actually civil to each other but as soon as Ashley and Gabriella had started dating Ashley grew really possessive and Gabriella obviously knew why but because Gabriella and Troy were so close, inseparable really. Ashley didn't like it. Troy also didn't mind the fact that Gabriella had a boyfriend because they had both dated before but he just didn't like Ashley. As time had gone on from their relationship Ashley had grown incredibly possessive and paranoid about Gabriella. But she knew it was just a phase and it would pass right? But now she had given him a reason to be possessive and paranoid. _

"_What? Seriously you think I'm that spiteful? To come onto my best friend just so I could get one over on Tate?" Troy wasn't yelling but she could tell that she had slightly pissed him off with her comment. _

_Gabriella hung her head down. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just confused." She shrugged her shoulders casually as if it wasn't a big deal. But she could almost sense the shift in his mood. She didn't want to look up into the crimson ringed irises. _

"_What are you confused about?" He asked with his own perplexed look upon his stunning face. _

"_I just..." Gabriella sighed. "You could have any girl you ever want but you go for me. Your best friend who coincidently is dating your arch nemesis." _

_Troy chuckled. "Okay first you make me and Ashley sound like Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul on American Idol. And arch nemesis means that you used to be friends a long time ago but you have different idea's so a better definition would be um.... I don't know the Republican and Democratic parties. I always wondered why you were in the top group for English" _

"_Oh Ha di ha Troy, very funny." Gabriella commented sarcastically. That was the thing about Troy he could always take a bad situation and make her laugh. Like he was doing now, she wanted to laugh but knew she couldn't. And he always liked to make fun of her. _

"_And second, do you seriously think that I wouldn't want you?" Troy asked with surprised laced into his voice. He gingerly touched her chin and forced her to look up at him. _

_Gabriella shrugged. "Troy have you not looked at me recently? Have you not seen the amazingly stunning girls in our class? Not that I'm a lesbian or anything it's just...." Gabriella began to ramble. She never did think that she was pretty or anything above pretty. At first when Ashley hit on her because every girl swooned over him in the entire class she thought he wasn't taking her seriously. That it was a joke. It took him a long time to convince her. And look what she had gotten herself into now. _

_It wasn't that she didn't like Ashley she did. She just wished the phase of the constant clinging and paranoia over her would stop. Things were good for them in the beginning, she just felt like she had to lower her expectations because a little voice inside her head was saying that they'd never get back to that. _

_Troy brought up his index finger and touched her lips to silence her. "Gabriella, I've wanted to be with you for a while but just was scared I guess....." _

_Gabriella felt like he was casting a spell over her and she was falling under it. Slowly but surely, her eyelids were floating closed and her eyes were drifting back and forth from his lips to his azure pools. The thought of her boyfriend was completely flooded from her mind. "Why?" She whispered sensually. _

"_Because I never thought you felt the same." He whispered back and his eyes drifted down to her lips back up to meet her awaiting gaze. _

"_You must be stupid then." She smiled tightly before pushing her lips onto his._

_The rest was history. _

* * *

Gabriella was giving off vibes.

She knew it. She was in one of those situations where you were somewhere and you really didn't want to be there. It was like she would have rather had a red hot poker shoved up her ass than be there at that precise moment. It was one of those nights where she would stand in a corner and just let the whole night pass by her. Like she wasn't really there. Like she was in a daze really. It wasn't that there was anything wrong she just felt like she really didn't want to be there.

The biggest problem was that some sickly thin cheerleader was draping himself all over Troy and there was nothing more that she wanted than to rag her away from him. But Ashley was at the other side of the room, practically two steps behind her. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

She didn't want to drink. She couldn't physically drink. She had tonsillitis and she could barely talk. But Sharpay being the total party animal that she was had insisted that Gabriella come with her tonight. There was nothing more that she wanted than having a date with her couch and some romantic films. And Troy had told her if she didn't go he'd be with her. But no. Now she was here. Wishing she wasn't.

And then the new brunette swaggered over to her holding a plastic cup in her hand. No wait, two plastic cups in her hand. She pushed one infront of Gabriella's face; she literally screwed it up at the fumes that were being omitted from it. It was like a fire. Okay, bad metaphor. "What the hell is in that?" Gabriella asked before pushing the cup away from her.

Sharpay shrugged whilst she had the plastic cup in her hand. "I don't know." She responded as she dropped the empty cup on the floor and gasped at the burning sensation. She then held the other cup to her lips and slung the liquid down her throat that was meant for Gabriella. "But it's good. Did you want that?"

Gabriella looked at her like she was crazy. "Yeah I really did. Puke it back up I'll drink it." She managed to croak out.

Sharpay scrunched her plucked eyebrows. "What's wrong are you not having fun?"

Gabriella actually managed a laugh as her throat felt like it was being sliced. "Totally. Fun, fun, fun." She chanted before she saw her ex boyfriend walking up to her with what looked like another red plastic cup in his hand. Great.

The bass of the music was vibrating through her body making it hard for her to think. Let alone try and get anyone to understand her speaking. Just to put it bluntly. She wanted to go home. She wanted to fall asleep in Troy's arms and snuggle into them feeling safe and warm.

"Hey Gabriella." Gabriella mentally rolled her eyes. She knew she was being a bitch. It wasn't just him. It was just everyone.

"Hi." She waved casually before mustering up the energy that she could to smile.

"Ugh I'm going. I'll see you soon Gabs." Sharpay said disgustingly at the fact that Gabriella's ex boyfriend was in the same breathing space as her. Gabriella waved casually at Sharpay as she walked away swaying her hips.

She didn't notice Troy's eyes on her from the other side of the room. "You want a drink?" Ashley offered.

Gabriella placed her hand on her throat to try and clear it. "Nah. I'm sick. Not really in the mood for drinking." She spoke into his ear to make him hear her. But as she leaned back she was met by his concerned and panicked eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong? Do you need a ride home?" He spoke frantically like he was searching through her eyes to find the source of her illness.

"Nah it's cool. I'll be okay." She smiled genuinely. She knew he cared about her and she cared about him.

"Can we talk?" He gestured towards the patio doors that were at the other end of the room

Gabriella looked towards the door and back at him. "Yeah. That's fine." She replied politely and she walked infront of him towards the doors which were open and she stepped outside immediately being hit by the cold air. She didn't notice Troy's eye follow her as she walked outside. Nor did she see the daggers that he sent Ashley as he saw him follow her outside. "So what's up?" She croaked, before placing her hand on her throat which felt like it was burning.

"I um. I went to the cemetery today." Ashley told her solemnly. Gabriella closed her eyes.

That was the reason for the down fall of her relationship. Not the fact that she ran into the arms of Troy. She didn't blame Ashley at all. About 2 months into Ashley and Gabriella's relationship Ashley's house had caught on fire. It had been ruled an accident but both his mom and dad had been killed in the fire. Gabriella could remember the moment that she had found out. The two of them were at a party, his parent's had assisted that they go. Otherwise the two of them were to sit in and watch a movie.

She only thanked god that they hadn't stayed in.

Ashley had lost it when his parents had died. But who wouldn't? His mom and dad had died. And he had instantly moved in with his grandparents. But after that things had gone downhill for the two of them. He had become so clingy towards her. Like he was going to lose her. But ultimately he had.

"Oh.... right." Gabriella didn't really know what to say to him. "How was it?"

"How do you think?" He asked with a slight smile on his face.

This was the part of Ashley that she liked. The person who was genuine and for every other second of the day wasn't doting on her suffocating her making sure she was okay. She didn't need that. "I'm sorry."

Ashley shook his head and shook his hands at the same time. "Don't worry about it." He took a drink of the cup he was holding. "So, how long has it been since we've had a regular conversation without ripping each other's throats out?"

Gabriella smiled. He was the guy that she liked. The guy that she could have seen herself falling for. But this was the guy that made her feel guilty, made her feel like more of the awful person she was. "A while huh?" Gabriella laughed.

"Look I know I was far from perfect. Believe me." He held his hands up surrendering. "But I just want to say that I'm really sorry. I know that I was the reason we... you know. So I just wanted to say that I'm sorry but I want you to know that I still love you."

Gabriella smiled. "I know and I know I wasn't perfect." _Definitely far from it. _"I just hope you know we can't ever..."

Ashley raised his eyebrows and hung his head low as if she had physically stabbed his heart. "I'm trying. Really I am."

Gabriella reached her small hand out to rest on his bicep. Causing him to look at her. "I know you are. Friends right?"

"Friends." He beamed and reached his big arms to wrap around her small body, she returned the hug graciously but she could tell deep down that he was taking it more than a friendly hug. After a few minutes Gabriella pulled away and beamed at him.

"I'll see you around okay?"

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked as he pulled her small body to him, closer to him if it was possible.

"Like total crap." She whispered, feeling fatigue on her frame. She got the first part of her wish. Being wrapped up in Troy's arms. But she wasn't at home like she wanted.

"Aw baby." Troy cooed as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I spoke to Ashley earlier." She sighed. She felt so terrible. Not that she hadn't felt terrible before but she just felt awful.

"How was that?" Troy whispered.

She shook her head. Feeling tears cloud her vision. Maybe it was because she was sick. She didn't know. "Terrible."

Troy kissed her temple as he lifted her slightly so she was now sitting on his lap, on the bed that they had occupied. They hadn't done anything. Nothing at all. But Gabriella was tired and she knew Troy could sense that. So he asked if she wanted to go upstairs, and the rest was history. Was it suicide if someone walked in? Definitely. Would they be able to talk themselves out of it? Definitely. After all, everyone thought that they were best friends. "Hey, hey. What happened?"

Gabriella shook her head, although it hurt to. "He just said that he was sorry. And I don't know I just feel incredibly guilty."

Troy wiped a stray curl that was lurking over her face. "Hey we've talked about this before remember?"

Gabriella sighed annoyingly. "Yeah Troy I know but it still doesn't change how I betrayed him. He deserves to know. You know that don't you?"

Troy took the opportunity to run his hands up and down Gabriella's bare arm as if to produce warmth, but all it was doing was producing a round of sparks around her body. "Yeah so what if he does. He pushed you away you've got to remember that."

Gabriella could sense an argument coming, one that she didn't want to get into. And was physically too tired to get into. "That doesn't make what we've done right."

He sighed in defeat and pushed her head down to his chest. "I know baby. I know, but what can we do? You don't regret this do you?"

Gabriella shook her head vigorously and shrugged her shoulders. "No of course I don't. I love you more than anything. But I just wish I didn't feel so guilty."

"I know. You want to stay at my house tonight?" Gabriella knew Troy was changing the subject so she wouldn't get upset.

She sighed. And nodded into the crook of his neck. "I want a kiss first though..."

Troy chuckled and Gabriella pressed a kiss to the golden skin on his neck. "I don't wanna get diseased."

Gabriella jolted up suddenly and pretended to look hurt. Forcing her puppy dog eyes that she knew he couldn't resist and he immediately started to laugh. "Fuck. You." She smiled brightly.

"Come on then." He flirted.

Gabriella smiled seductively. "Mmm don't tempt me." She leaned towards him so now he was lying back on the bed and began to kiss him passionately.

Gabriella was so hypnotized by Troy's body, and just Troy. She didn't hear the light knock on the door and she didn't hear the door open.

"What the fuck?" A booming voice entered from the door. Gabriella's eyes widened in fright. She didn't even need to turn around to know whose voice it was. Gabriella pulled away from Troy's lips so fast and rolled from the top of him to see him standing there.

Ashley....


	5. Good Day

**A/N: Another chapter :) I just want to thank all of you guys for the reviews and support and I'm still kinda sad that Just Can't Walk Away is over! but I hope you like the chapter and I just wanna say that this was kinda hard for me to write so I hope you take that into account and don't hate me! Lol but thanks for all of you incredible bunch for sticking with this :)**

* * *

It was just a typical day. The sun was radiating gold in the sky. There was hardly any bright white clouds, and the sky was a glowing blue indicating what a beautiful day it was going to be. The flowers even looked like they were smiling in the luscious green grass. The air was hot, heavy, but also it was quiet. A deadly quiet. In school there was no chairs moving there was no scrapings of pens across paper. She could only hear herself breathing. In her imagination there was no sound of chairs moving and no scrapings of pens across paper, she could only hear her heart hammering like a mallet against a brick wall every time she inhaled and exhaled.

Everybody was running around smiling and it was all sunshine's and daises.

But in Gabriella's eyes it wasn't. Even though the weather was perfect and everyone's moods were perfect Gabriella's world wasn't perfect. She remembered when she was little and she painted the most beautiful picture she had ever painted when she was around 4 years old. She had spent hours mixing colours and drawing, that was the thing with Gabriella she was a really creative person and she could paint or draw anything anybody placed infront of her. Anyways, she had painted this picture with sunshine yellow's and international orange's and sky blue's. It was a picture of her, her mother and her father standing infront of a house she had imagined in her mind.

The house was white, a perfect shade of white with scarlet framed windows and a perfect scarlet roof. She had painted daisies and a sun in the sky with barely any clouds. There were flowers around the house and she had painted a rainbow circling around the house. Today would have felt like that day, but that particular day when she had painted the picture Chad, who she had known since preschool had told her that her painting was 'stoopid' and he had spilt his murky water over the top of her picture. Gabriella had never cried so much. She was absolutely heartbroken. Chad had been yelled at of course.

And today was like that one day.

The day was perfect, but she felt as if murky water had been split all over her. And why was that?

Oh yeah because her ex boyfriend had caught her making out with her boyfriend and he had totally lost it.

_She sighed. And nodded into the crook of his neck. "I want a kiss first though..." _

_Troy chuckled and Gabriella pressed a kiss to the golden skin on his neck. "I don't wanna get diseased."_

_Gabriella jolted up suddenly and pretended to look hurt. Forcing her puppy dog eyes that she knew he couldn't resist and he immediately started to laugh. "Fuck. You." She smiled brightly._

"_Come on then." He flirted. _

_Gabriella smiled seductively. "Mmm don't tempt me." She leaned towards him so now he was lying back on the bed and began to kiss him passionately. _

_Gabriella was so hypnotized by Troy's body, and just Troy. She didn't hear the light knock on the door and she didn't hear the door open. _

"_What the fuck?" A booming voice entered from the door. Gabriella's eyes widened in fright. _

_She didn't even need to turn around to know whose voice it was. Gabriella pulled away from Troy's lips so fast and rolled from the top of him to see him standing there. _

_Ashley...._

She closed her eyes as she let the memory wash over her. Why had she been so stupid? Why didn't she just say to Troy let's leave this until we get home. Let's just leave. Why did she even go upstairs with Troy? Why was she so stupid? She could have done something. Done something to change what had happened. Then she wouldn't have been feeling so guilty. Like she had betrayed somebody. Well technically she had. She had been sleeping with somebody else behind her boyfriends back. Yeah sure, true love finds its way anyway but couldn't she just have suppressed it? She could have just not felt how she felt and been the loyal girlfriend that she was meant to be and broken up with Troy when necessary.

But did real life ever work that way?

Never.

Gabriella tapped her pen lightly against her piece of paper, as she bit down on her bottom lip. She didn't know what she was going to do. She felt so lost. She knew that it was out now and she wanted to tell him. But she didn't know how she was going to make it right how she was going to make it seem like she wasn't a terrible person. But she was a terrible person wasn't she?

All of these thoughts were circling around her brain going a thousand miles an hour she couldn't even pinpoint one. Not one, she couldn't even begin to think of the pain he was going through. But she did know that if Troy was to cheat on her with somebody else for months behind her back, she wouldn't have taken lightly to it. She would have been absolutely devastated, heartbroken. She didn't think she would be able to live.

What if she had done that to him?

_Gabriella couldn't register what had just happened in her mind. She couldn't even think that after a year of hiding this from him she had always thought, he'll never find out. He'd never know what she had done. She had worked a year to make sure that wouldn't happen. And everything had just come crashing down. Everything she had ever imagined to be heaven and perfect was now hell and just pure hell. _

_Troy sat up quickly causing Gabriella to fall onto the bed next to him, immediately she swung her legs around and felt her feet connect with the floor, she pushed up her weight and looked Ashley in the eye who had looked like he had just seen a ghost. "Ashley." She whispered torturously. _

_His face was drip white, he stood motionless, his arms by his side looking directly at the two of them as if he was replaying the event in his mind. His eyes were welled with tears and Gabriella looked to Troy but he was just looking at Ashley as if he was trying to telepathically rewind what had just happened. "Ashley." Gabriella said more defiantly. _

"_You? And him?" Ashley yelled, Gabriella didn't even know how long they had been up there but the music had stopped from downstairs and she was sure people would have started to dissipate. Gabriella bit down on her lip closing her eyes tight as if she were going to go home. She needed to be away. She was already feeling sick, her head was feeling heavy and she could already feel the tears clouding her vision. She couldn't even nod her head. _

"_Yea...." She whispered. _

"_How long?" He yelled, the air was so thick in the room it had become unbearable. Gabriella could have almost felt her skin start to condense. _

"_Does it matter?" Gabriella said solemnly, she stood right infront of Ashley and felt his stare become unbearable as he was looking at her like she was dirty. Like she was unworthy. _

_But she was._

"_Yes Gabriella it does matter! Because if you did this while we were together it makes alot of things different" Ashley's temper was growing, his head was shaking slightly and his eyes were fixed, fixed on Gabriella. Her body was shaking; tears began to slip down her cheeks as Troy was just sitting staring at Ashley, why wasn't he doing anything? "So are you gonna tell me or is he?" He gestured towards Troy. _

"_Tate man." Troy began as he sat up from the bed and walked towards Ashley._

"_Don't!" Ashley held out his hands to stop Troy from moving any closer to him. "Gabriella?" _

_Gabriella bit her bottom lip and she looked down onto the ground and her tears were unstoppable running down her face. She tried to muffle her sobs. "I wanted to tell you. Really I did but..." She began but was cut off by Ashley's yelling. _

"_WELL Y'KNOW WHAT GABRIELLA THAT'S GREAT, THAT'S REALLY GREAT. BUT NOW I KNOW AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE?" Ashley was furious; his rage was shaking the house, usually it was Gabriella who was screaming and calling the shots and now she was cowering in fright, scared of what was gonna happen, scared of how much she had hurt him. _

_She was a terrible person. She had cheated on her boyfriend for 6 months and even though she had anticipated how much she would hurt him. She never anticipated when he would find out and how much he would be hurt and what the extent of his hurt would be. "Your parents died and you just..."_

"_Right so Ashley's parents die let's go jump into bed with a guy he truly hates, even more so now!" Ashley hissed, his hand flew up to Gabriella's shoulders and he pushed her slightly, she stumbled back a little and that seemed to be the point where Troy decided to intervene. _

"_Hey. That's enough. You don't talk to her like that okay?" By this point Troy had risen to his feet and was walking towards Ashley. "You wanna push someone you push me!" _

"_Troy. Stop." Gabriella sobbed slightly. "Ashley listen to me. Your parents just died, I could never break up with you, and it's just the way things worked out"_

"_I can't listen to this." _

_And then he walked out of the room. _

The ringing of the bell brought her out of her depression. She mechanically grabbed her things and walked down the hall to the locker. Troy had been constantly calling her all of the weekend to see how she was he had even gone to her house a few times but she had told her parents to tell him that she was sleeping because she was sick. Gabriella didn't even have time to become sick, she didn't have time to do anything. She had to make things right.

"He's not in school today y'know." Sharpay informed her as she looked down at her perfectly manicured nails and began to pick out the dirt that probably wasn't even there.

Wait. "What? How do you know?" Gabriella snapped, she knew she was snapping but she couldn't help it.

"Because I have first period with him." Sharpay reminded her holding her hand out in the middle of the air. Her eyes were wide as if Gabriella was crazy for asking the question.

"No I mean how do you know about the weekend." Gabriella corrected her as she reached inside her locker and pulled out a folder.

"People talk."

Great.

"Now what I'm more bothered about is why you didn't tell me." Sharpay used her long index finger to point in Gabriella's direction. Clearly more than one person was pissed off at her.

Gabriella didn't respond.

"Hey." A husky voice entered her ears from behind her.

Gabriella turned around slowly to be met by Troy's distressed gaze. He looked like he hadn't slept. Well neither had she. She hadn't slept since Friday night, and after Troy had asked her to stay at his house she didn't end up following through on his suggestion, she ended up running out not long after Ashley had in attempts to find him and attempts to make things right between the two of them. Well not right but she at least had to explain. Actually who was she trying to kid. She couldn't explain. Because she didn't know why she had done it. She didn't want to say that she had fallen in love with Troy because that would have just made him feel worse. Because Ashley was in love with her. "Hi." She responded painfully.

"Can we talk for a minute?" Troy gestured away from Sharpay who seemed to get the message.

"Yeah Bolton I get it. I'll catch you later." Sharpay waved to the two and then swung her hips as she walked off into the distance.

"You wanted to talk?" Gabriella asked him aimlessly. Troy seemed to look at her with confusion. What was his problem? Did he not understand what she was going through? She had made a commitment to Ashley and she had betrayed that, he had trusted her and she took that trust and she practically stood on it.

"Not here." He mumbled and grabbed her arm slightly and began walking. Gabriella pulled her arm away from Troy's grasp. "What's wrong?" Troy asked after she had removed herself from his grasp.

What planet was he living on? "What's wrong?" Gabriella repeated in a hushed tone. "Hello? Where you not there on Friday night? Did you not see the look on his face?"

Troy growled a little. "Yeah and did you see my face when he put he's hands on you?"

Gabriella's slim brows narrowed in confusion. She then shook her head slightly. "Whatever I deserved it." She mumbled.

Troy's hand travelled down Gabriella's arm and he gingerly connected their fingers together in fit that pieced together so perfectly. But she didn't snatch them away. "Listen to me. If you deserve it, I deserve it. We fell in love okay? That's not a crime. Yeah it was under shit circumstances but there's nothing we can do about it now you know that right?"

Gabriella nodded. Her eyes connecting with the ground before looking up into Troy's eyes that were laced with pain but also love that was being aimed towards Gabriella. "So let me see that smile."

Gabriella smiled with her lips together. A fake smile really as she looked down to the floor again.

"No let me see those teeth."

Gabriella grinned brightly, a forced smile. Shielding her eyes behind her lids. Troy's lips tugged into a slight smile. "Better than nothing." He joked. "But that's my girl."

Gabriella loved the way that that phrase slipped from his tongue. It made her insides melt. It made her instantaneously forget about what had occurred on Friday night. It had made her forget her torture she had experienced. She was just in Troy's arms and that was all that mattered to her at that minute.

"What is gonna happen?" Gabriella asked, she was vulnerable, she knew that. The way she looked at Troy as if she was depending on him for everything, and in some ways she was. Her hand that was locked into his started to squeeze lightly as if she was asking him to tell her that everything was going to be okay. She knew it wasn't, she knew she was going to have to deal with it somehow she was going to have to talk to him. She knew that, but right now she was with Troy. He could take the worst possible situation and make her feel better. She didn't know that he would be doing that sometime in the near future.

"We're gonna sit down. And we're going to talk to him. I know this sucks right now but I promise that everything will be okay." Troy commented and then nodded his head to reassure her. "You hear me?"

Gabriella nodded her thousand pound head. She couldn't deny that she still felt sick. She felt like she was being stabbed in the stomach, it wasn't a cramping kind of pain that she was accustomed to, it was a wretch less stabbing motion in her stomach.

"How are you feeling anyway?" Troy moved his hand to the olive skin that coated her upper arm and he began to rub with the tip of his fingers, tickling slightly.

Gabriella's head tilted to the side and her tired eyelids closed slowly, opening them again she saw him looking down at her with concern. His normally azure pupils were coated with a tone of grey. "Like shit." She commented with a slight smile.

"Why don't you go home, we'll deal with Ashley tomorrow?" Troy questioned. "And if anything happens here I'll let you know, promise." Troy leaned down and kissed her forehead quickly before anybody else could see the gesture of affection.

Gabriella inhaled and she gently reached around the curve of his neck, again so nobody could see quickly. "No. I need to stay here. I can't be a coward."

"It's gonna be a good day, I promise."

Maybe she wasn't going to feel like murky water had been thrown onto her painting.

Was it possible to believe that everything you had ever thought felt and believed may have been a lie?

Well that's how Ashley Tate felt. All weekend, ever since Friday night he had sat in his home while his grandma and grandpa had been away and he had replayed every single aspect of his relationship in his mind, from the point where he asked her out. To the point where they had broken up. She had seemed to happy when he had asked her out. He could remember the exact day. The exact time and the exact thoughts that had been racing around his mind.

_He had gone over everything in his mind. He had thought about every single way he could ask her out. Every single word he could say to her. He had even looked through the mirror and practiced his speech. In a perfect world they would have been eating dinner having the time of their lives, they would have been flirting he would have perhaps fed her some of his dinner and then he would have said this big long speech about how beautiful she was, how happy she made him feel and how he would hope that they would never ever be apart. _

_But that was in a perfect world. _

_In the real world..._

_They were sitting in the library studying for a project, Gabriella had been stressing about how perfect this project had to be because she wanted it to be perfect. She had been up all of the night texting him just random texts and then she had told him that she wanted to do this project with him. _

_And this was his perfect opportunity. _

_Her hair was thrown back sluggishly, she had little make up applied, her eyes were slightly swollen and purple from the lack of sleep and she was wearing a tee shirt and some sweats. Most people would have said that today of all days was Gabriella's worst look but Ashley had never thought she looked more beautiful. _

_Currently she was sitting with her head in a book scribbling down radically as she flipped another page. Ashley was truly mesmerized by everything about her, even the way she was flipping over the pages in the book. _

"_Be my girlfriend." _

_Gabriella's eyes snapped up instantaneously as if she had imagined it. "What?" She asked with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion in the adorable way he loved. _

"_Be my girlfriend."_

_And instantly a smile flooded onto her face. She bit down onto her bottom lip and her head tilted to the side so she could look at him more. Her brown eyes were absolutely stunning. They weren't the normal shade of brown that you would see on other people. They were absolutely mesmerizing. "You're serious?"_

"_Deadly." _

_A beam that could have melted the sun appeared onto her face. "Yes."_

_Now this was his turn."You're serious?"_

"_Yes I'll be your girlfriend."_

Was that a lie?

Was she screwing Bolton behind his back when she had agreed to be his girlfriend? No she hadn't had she. She seemed genuine. But then again she seemed genuine for the other 11 months and 3 days of his relationship. How could somebody tell so many lie's all of the time? One after the other. Betray somebody so much. Cause somebody the pain that he was feeling right now.

He was still dressed in Friday night's clothes, he hadn't put anything into his mouth apart from water and he hadn't closed his eyes apart from when he was lubricating his eyeballs. He had replayed every single day of their relationship in his head. The day that she had lost her virginity to him. That seemed genuine. But what was bugging him the most was: was every day he had ever loved her been a lie? And she could have chosen a better guy.

Troy Bolton.

Yeah he knew that all girls loved him and wanted him to fuck them senseless. He also knew that all of the guys wanted to be him or wanted to be friends with him. Ashley? He couldn't stand the sight of him. Even more so now he had gone after his girl. Gabriella. They had been together a year! That had meant something hadn't it? It had meant something to him he knew that, but clearly it hadn't meant something to her.

He needed answers.

And that Monday morning, the sun was radiating gold in the sky. There were hardly any bright white clouds, and the sky was a glowing blue indicating what a beautiful day it was going to be. The flowers even looked like they were smiling in the luscious green grass. The air was hot, heavy, and that's why that morning he had gotten up, he had taken a shower, he had had a shave and he had gone out that morning, missed his first period, he had bought the petrol and he had bought the matches to use that day.

It was gonna be a good day.


	6. Conflicts

**A/N: Something about this chapter I didn't really like. But anyways I hope you like it. Thanks for all the feedback again blah blah. And I'd just like to say that all of my thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the Jackson family who as you know have lost a member of their family. Michael Jackson. He was a tremendous musician and I'd just like to say that my thoughts are with his children and family while they are going through this traumatic time. **

**R.I.P Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)**

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Gabriella looked around her psychology classroom and looked into the empty seat that was in the corner of the classroom. Her head was still feeling heavy, like there was a built up pressure between her skull and her brain. Maybe it was from her sleep deprivation? She didn't know but she also knew that her olive skin was sweltering, her skin was clammy but there were shivers rolling up and down her spine. She couldn't stay still in her seat. Her nose felt congested her muscles were aching and causing her alot of discomfort.

"Miss Montez?" The blonde teacher Miss Walsh called her name almost cockily.

God she hated her.

"What?" Gabriella snapped, her body shook uncontrollably as another shiver ran up and down her spine. She closed her eyes as she her body was rebelling against her. She had to get out. Why didn't she listen to Troy when he told her to go home? Because she wanted to hang around to talk to Ashley. Why couldn't she have just been selfish for once? Well she had been selfish and cheated on her boyfriend for 6 months.

Gabriella had been sitting and thinking about it since Friday night, how could she have done what she did? How could she have known that somebody trusted her and loved her and she took that and she killed it. She betrayed that trust, she betrayed that love. She could have just waited. She could have waited until Ashley was out of that dark place that he had been in and then she could have said that it wasn't going to work out, then she could have gone for Troy. But why didn't she? Why did she have to fall in love? Did she regret falling in love with Troy? No she didn't. But did she regret what she had done? Yeah of course she did.

But did she just regret that she had been caught?

"Miss I have to go to the bathroom." Gabriella's hand struck up even though she knew the teacher's attention was already on her. She couldn't stand being there, she felt like she was going to fall over if she was going to stand up but she had to get out of there. She could almost feel the beads of sweat trailing down her face but her whole body was shivering, shaking.

"You're staying in my classroom Miss Montez." Miss Walsh commented with a sly smirk on her face, her hands were rested on her hips as she swayed them walking between the aisle between the desks. Gabriella noted how she trailed her hands over Troy's desk as she walked past.

Stupid bitch.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Gabriella repeated this time more slowly but her teeth began to chatter and Troy turned around in his seat to look at her, he frowned almost instantaneously. Maybe she looked thicker than she thought. Her eyes were dropping closed as she tried to focus on getting out of the classroom. Although she had no clue where she was going to go, she just knew it wasn't there.

"You're staying in my classroom Miss Montez." She repeated, almost taunting Gabriella.

She wasn't having any of this.

"Oh whatever I'm out of here." She commented before standing up, whoa. Blood rush. Blackness clouded her vision as she felt tingles run down her olive arms and into her fingertips, her body began to sway from side to side before the tingles stopped and the black subsided.

"I hate to break it to you sweetie but you are sitting down and listening while your in my class." She informed sarcastically, she leant back onto her desk and again placed her hands on her hips, her glasses were on the tip of her nose as she was looking at Gabriella. Maybe she was imagining things but she swore that she could see a smirk on her face. A smirk that she was holding Gabriella captive. She just wanted to knock the smirk from her face.

Gabriella picked up her back and walked slowly and probably like she was drunk out of the classroom. She could hear the stupid bitch yelling her name. Telling her to come back. But Gabriella had gone. Gabriella held her bag on her shoulder as she swayed as she tried to walk. She felt dizzy, like everything was spinning around her.

"GAB!" A husky voice called her name, Gabriella turned around slowly to see Troy running towards her. She stood still in her spot feeling dizziness wash over her yet again; she wasn't going to succumb to it though. Troy's hand gently held her arm securing her so she didn't fall. "Hey you okay?"

He looked down into her eyes all of the concern in the world locked into them. Gabriella's eyes drifted closed as if she was going to fall asleep, her body began to rock backwards and forwards slightly. "Come on you need to go home."

Gabriella shook her head although it felt like it was going to fall off. "No, I just need some water."

Troy sighed deeply, Gabriella felt his breathe tickle her face, she began to walk backwards where she knew a window ledge was sitting, her body fell back as she let her hands fall by her sides. "Gab you need to go home. I'm worried about you."

Troy was next to her, within a second and his hand was grasped onto her bare olive arm and he began to rub soothing circles. "Shit gab you're freezing."

It was at that point that Troy took off the black jacket that he was wearing and placed it around her shoulders, Gabriella grabbed the edges and held it close to her shivering body. Her hands crossed over one another, her eyes were closed tightly. "Come on, you need to get home." Troy beckoned as he started to pull her up from her sitting position.

"No I need to stay." She replied drowsily, her voice was becoming raspy from the illness that was taking over her.

"Gabriella. You need to go home. Baby you're sick." Troy informed her assertively, he wasn't yelling, just concerned and his voice was stern. "Come on." He beckoned again as he pressed his lips to her sweltering forehead.

"Ashley." The name was forced from her tongue. "I have to talk to him."

Troy sighed deeply; she could imagine his eyes closing. She had used to be a selfless person, somebody who would put everyone else before herself, and that's what she was doing at that minute. She was trying to become who she was. She had become so selfish into cheating on Ashley, she felt sorry for him. No she didn't felt sorry for him, she felt guilty it was all of her fault. "Baby, he's not in school you're sick. If he does come to school leave him to me okay."

Gabriella didn't want that. She wanted to be here. She needed to be here. She HAD to talk to him, why Troy couldn't just understand that. She didn't know. "Troy can you get me some water?"

"Yeah I'll get you some water." He pressed his lips to her forehead as she looked up at him groggily. Her body was begging for some sleep but she couldn't her mind was on overdrive. "Don't go anywhere okay?"

Gabriella nodded gingerly as her head felt like it was going to split. She pulled the jacket closer to her so she could smell her favourite smell. It intoxicated her as she let it fill her lungs and she could feel her body becoming strong again if that was possible. "Love you." She mumbled before she heard Troy's footsteps echo away from her until she couldn't hear them anymore.

A few minutes later more footsteps were making sounds and vibrations on the metallic linoleum floor. Gabriella's head was leant against a red post as her eyes were still closed. She knew she should have been at home. But she couldn't be. She would be at home soon enough. She thought. "Troy?" She called as soon as the footprints stopped and she could hear a breathe infront of her.

"Not exactly." Gabriella's eyes struck open like lightning as she looked up and saw him stood there.  
The raw pain that was visible in his face was enough to stab Gabriella in the stomach and cause all of her intestines and organs to spill out onto the floor. His hair hadn't been touched, his face was pale and his normal apple happy eyes were swollen and slightly purple. Like her own. But the usual white bits were highlighted with a shade of crimson. He had the same clothes on from Friday night when he had caught her with Troy. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink. He also looked like he had been stabbed in the heart.

Well she had stabbed him.

Maybe not directly, she hadn't been holding a knife but she had caused his pain, caused his torment. "Ashley...." She began but her eyebrows knitted in confusion as she saw him walking towards her.

He grabbed the bottom of her legs and picked her up in a bridal style, her arms fell around his neck. She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know where she was going. And she didn't know what he was doing. Wasn't he supposed to hate her? And he had his arms around her. His grip wasn't tight; it wasn't anything out of the normal. "What are you doing?"

"We need to talk." The pain was evident in his voice as he talked like he hadn't talked for a while.

She didn't object, she knew she should've been but she couldn't. She felt too ill. Ashley carried her for a few minutes and she had guessed he had carried her up some stairs until she heard a creak of a door. As soon as Ashley carried her into the room she was met by a fume, the smell was overpowering. Almost blinding. And then realization dawned on her.

It was petrol.

Gabriella distantly heard a click of a door as he sat her down on a chair. Her legs bent reflexively, and her eyes shot open quickly although the gas that was being produced from the petrol, she looked around the room even though her head felt like it was going to snap from her neck and she saw pictures of spider's that were stapled to the wall. And she looked back onto the desk infront of her and saw cotton wool was spread out and covered the whole able so she couldn't see the surface underneath. Gabriella felt fear spread through her body. She had known he was hurt. And he was on antidepressants but Gabriella was scared.

Terrified.

"This room is filled with everything that you hate. I even have some cheese here. Do you want some?" Gabriella's eyes widened. What was he going to do? She tried to stand up but she couldn't, her illness wouldn't let her. Why the hell was she sick now? When she knew he was going to hurt her. Her head shook slowly.

"You hate the smell of petrol." He stated. "I remember when we used to go and fill up the car with some and you used to feel queasy from the smell." Ashley walked further towards her and gripped her face tightly causing Gabriella to whimper, tears started to make their way down her face. "Do you feel queasy now?"

His grip loosened until he swiped his hand away, Gabriella tried to lean forward but she snapped her hands back at the sight of the cotton wool. Everything about it Gabriella hated. She never used it, she never used to wear nail polish for the simple fact that she'd have to take it off with cotton wool. She hated the way that it felt between her fingers. It made her feel physically sick. It was one of those funny fears that people have. "Ashley..."

"Was everything a lie Gabriella? Huh? Tell me was everything you ever did or said to me a lie?" The tears were rolling down Gabriella's face like acid rain. All of her energy was draining out of her quickly and her body was shaking uncontrollably, part of it from the fear and part of it from the cold that she was witnessing. Her hands slowly reached up to find that the jacket was gone. She should have tried to scream. She could have tried to scream, a teacher or someone would have heard her but she was finding it hard enough to talk at that precise moment, let alone scream.

"Ashley..."

Ashley's furious hands lowered onto a table infront of him as he pushed it lightly making a loud bang, causing Gabriella to jump."Tell me!"

"No." She replied, her head was hung low. As if she wasn't worthy. Well she wasn't was she?

"How long?"

It was a question that Gabriella had always feared, especially when it was coming from Ashley's mouth. She didn't want to tell him. She couldn't tell him that 6 months of their relationship had been a complete lie. 6 months of excuses not to see him. 6 months of lies saying she was at Taylor's or Sharpay's when really she was at Troy's. 6 months of Ashley's jealousy of Troy causing her to tell him that they were just friends and she had made him feel guilty on numerous occasions.

She couldn't do it.

"How long?" She knew he was growing impatient. But she would be too. She was cowering in fright.

"6 months." She replied in the smallest voice imaginable. She bit down on her lower lip, something she always did when she was nervous or scared. Her mocha eyes shifted down to the floor, finding it so much easier to look at than his eyes.

Gabriella heard a loud crash she looked to the side of her to see a chair and desk crash violently to the floor. Gabriella's body again jumped up in fright. "Ashley I'm...."

"You're sorry?" Ashley asked. "Yeah right." He added sarcastically.

"Ashley listen to me." Gabriella suggested. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"Gabriella have you heard yourself? Have you watched every single TV show of every time somebody had been unfaithful and learnt these lines because seriously..."

"It's cliché? Yeah I know that. But seriously that's how it was." Gabriella admitted honestly. A sob trembled from her mouth.

"What happened?"

Another question Gabriella never wanted to answer. "Ashley I don't...."

"What happened?" He repeated. Clearly there was no compromising with him. "And if you're thinking you're gonna hurt me you really couldn't hurt me anymore than you already have."

Gabriella's bright white pearly teeth sunk down into her puffy lip as she tried to control the earth shattering sobs that were coming from her small body. "It was at a party. We'd argued. I was pissed at how clingy you were with me. And then I told you to stay away from me and I started drinking. I was sick and Troy looked after me and we kissed."

There was suddenly an echo of two hands being slapped together in a 'clap'. Gabriella looked up to see Ashley looking at her with fixed eyes, he looked like he hadn't blinked and a few tears were slowly trailing down his what Gabriella had once thought was a gorgeous face. "And you didn't think to stop it? You thought you'd just carry on. Instead of just talking to me and saying that it wasn't going to work out? Because honestly that would have been so much better than me knowing that you'd fucking cheated on me."

"Ashley I didn't wanna hurt you." She began.

"And you thought I wouldn't be hurt when I him on top of you in my own fucking house? Because seriously Gabriella I thought you were smart."

It was all too much. Gabriella knew Troy would have been looking for her; she had left her bag on the floor before Ashley had brought her here and her cell phone had been in it so she couldn't have silently called someone telling them where she was because in reality she didn't really know either. "Ashley listen to me. You're parents had just died. You were clinging onto me with everything and then what was I supposed to do tell you it wasn't working out?"

"Well yeah!" He exclaimed. "So you thought I don't wanna hurt him. I know I'll sleep with a guy he truly hates for 6 months and then let him be on top of me in my ex boyfriends house. What the fuck happened to you?" Now he was shouting. His voice was raised her gaze fell down to where his hands were onto the desk and they were shaking slightly.

"I don't know what you want me to say." Gabriella replied modestly, her hands fell onto her thighs.

"You know what? In the whole time we've been in here you haven't once told me you're sorry." His voice was quiet but he looked like Niagara Falls was being produced from his spheres. "I should've realized it y'know. Everything was pointing towards that you were with somebody else. You didn't really wanna be around me. You never wanted to have sex. You were always with _him." _The word him rolled from Ashley's tongue almost venomously. "You insisted that you were best friends and nothing was going on. Absolutely nothing. You made me feel so guilty. So fucking guilty. You would say don't you trust me. Nothing is going on. And the whole time you were fucking him. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?" Ashley's voice was growing louder again.

Gabriella didn't feel good. Her head was splitting with pain and it also felt like she was balancing the literal weight of the world on her shoulders. Her body was shaking profusely from fear and the way her body was literally freezing. She felt too guilty; she never meant to hurt him. As cliché as it sounded she didn't. She knew how awful she had been she knew how she had broken his heart. But she couldn't do anything now. "I'm sorry."

"WELL IT'S A LITTLE LATE FOR THAT DON'T YOU THINK?" Ashley was walking towards her and he stopped right infront of her, pushing the table away from her and he placed his hands around Gabriella's forearms, it wasn't the loving gentle touch that Troy had given her earlier, it was a fierce hold. As if he was out for blood.

Gabriella then realized. There was petrol in the room. Ashley was pissed. He was heartbroken, devastated. What would Gabriella have done? But then she mentally shook her head. Ashley wasn't that stupid. He knew he would get into trouble. But then again Ashley had a mental condition. What was she to believe? Ashley then grabbed some desks that were in the room and began to align them in a straight line from where Gabriella was sitting. She didn't know why. But her whole body was so tired, her head arched backwards and her eyes closed. "Where is he?" Ashley asked.

Gabriella's eyes opened as she looked at Ashley, her face narrowed in utter confusion. "Where is who?"

"Oh common Gabriella. Troy? Where the fuck is he? Bolton." Ashley exclaimed while Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. That was the last thing that she wanted.

"I don't know." She responded. She didn't want Troy to know where she was and she didn't want Troy to be here, Ashley was being somebody that she had never known and she never wanted to put Troy in danger.

"I'll be back in a minute." Ashley commented. Gabriella tried to lift her body up but she couldn't.

There was a click of the door and then Ashley walked outside followed by another click. What? How did Ashley get in and out? He couldn't have had a key could he? No that was stupid. A few minutes passed before she heard Ashley's footsteps walk back inside. She opened her eyes slightly to see Ashley put a green tub on the floor, the sound was hollow on the ground as Gabriella's eyes enlarged. What was he going to do?

"ASHLEY!" Gabriella screamed, she was scared. She was absolutely terrified. She needed someone. She needed someone to save her.

And then there was a loud knock on the door. "GAB!" And then there was more knocking.

"Ooooh." Ashley beamed like a Cheshire cat. He walked over to the door and Gabriella saw a key flash to open the door. And then Troy rushed in breathlessly.

"Tate man what the fuck are you doing?" Gabriella looked frantically to Troy, silently telling them to get away.

"Come in come in."

And then Ashley locked the door.

"It fucking stinks in here." Troy turned up his nose in disgust. "Is that petrol?"

Gabriella shook her head."Troy."

Troy turned his head to Gabriella and with his eyes he silently sent the message that everything was gonna be okay. But Gabriella didn't believe him.

Troy's fist then connected with Ashley's jaw, Ashley fell to the floor with a thud and then Troy ran over to Gabriella quickly grabbing her sweltering face in his hands. She slowly felt herself slipping. She didn't know whether it was from the fact that she was sick or she didn't know whether it was the fumes from the petrol. But Gabriella didn't hear Ashley lift himself from the floor until she heard the anger in his voice.

"You shouldn't have done that Bolton."

Gabriella's eyes shot open like lightning as Ashley reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. The box was a gold shade and then he slid out a white tray underneath. Gabriella's eyes enlarged as terror spread through her whole body like wildfire. Okay fire was really a kind of bad metaphor. Her breathing became shallow as she realized what had just happened.

Ashley had just lit the match.


	7. Bad Day

**A/N: Okay guys I'd just like to say I'm suffering from updating too soon but hopefully you don't mind right? It's just that I'm eager to start my new story :) And there's probably going to be one or two more chapters coming up. I aren't too sure yet. Enjoy the chapter + thanks for the support :) **

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Troy had never felt so much fear running through his veins when he saw Ashley strike the wooden stick quickly across the striker adding a fierce amount of pressure. Not too much pressure to break the match but enough pressure to see the friction along with the heat collect to form a small black semi circle with an orange around it. Troy could see the small heat waves that were on the small flame. He focused on Gabriella; her face had fallen in total terror. Her face had paled but he was that was seventy five percent illness and twenty five percent terror. Her arms had fallen by her side as her eyes were wide in total and utter shock.

But Troy couldn't fall apart.

He could feel his whole body growing number as the seconds went by. His arms were rested at his side much like Gabriella's but he brought one hand up to signal a stop signal to Ashley, trying to calm him down. Tears were flooding down Ashley's tomato red face, red from all of the shouting no doubt. His look was rugged. He looked like he hadn't had a shave in days.

He looked broken.

Troy couldn't imagine his life without Gabriella. Even when they hadn't been romantically involved, they had still been best friends, he had known everything about her and she had known everything about him, and that had always been enough for him. But somewhere deep down he had fallen in love with Gabriella and had to live everyday seeing her with some other guy. And even when they had become romantically involved, he had still been jealous and felt some kind of psychological pain when he had seen Ashley with his hands on her or just knowing that Ashley could have Gabriella in the way that he had her.

Troy Bolton never shared.

When he was a child, he never shared. Ever. He would keep everything to himself and he had got himself into trouble and into a few fights before with kids who would want a 'blue crayon'. He had once had a massive argument with Chad at 5 years old because his mom had made the two of them a pizza to share but it was Troy favourites pizza and when Troy wanted it to himself he got it, he and Chad had fought and neither of them had ended up eating the pizza as it ended up all over the carpet and the walls.

But that was back to the point Troy Bolton never shared and he couldn't help it when Gabriella and Ashley were together, whenever she was at his house or he was at her house he couldn't help but think of them having sex and he knew that he shouldn't because they hadn't had sex to his recognition and he was after all the 'other guy'.

And that's what he agreed to.

He didn't actually sign up anything but when he and Gabriella carried on with their 'relationship' he had known that she wasn't going to break up with Ashley. And despite the selfish nature of their 'relationship' he had known that Gabriella did have Ashley's best interests in her heart.

But at this moment he seriously doubted that.

"Whoa Tate..." Troy panted, both of his hands signalled up into a stop sign. "Come on."

"Is Bolton gonna take me seriously now? Are you both gonna take me seriously now I've got a match in my fucking hand." Ashley roared like a lion.

Gabriella's face was drip white. She looked so vulnerable; she had usually been so strong but now? This wasn't a Gabriella that he knew. She looked like she was trying to talk, her lips were moving but no words were coming from her mouth. He just wanted to put his arms around her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But he didn't know that it was going to be so what else could he do.

He could try and yell but as soon as he did the match would be on the ground and the whole classroom would be up in flames. The whole school would be up in flames, and it would be all his fault. Why couldn't he have just have kept it in his pants? Or bit his tongue? He didn't have to do this.

"Dude. We can talk about this. There's no need to do this..." Troy attempted to persuade. He tried to take steps towards Ashley but he waved the match higher in the air.

"I don't wanna talk. I'm fed up of talking. I'm fed up of the lies. Every single word the either of you have ever spoke to me is a lie." Ashley began pacing up and past the front desk where the teacher would usually sit.

"As...Ashley." Gabriella began, all of her energy being absorbed on the phrase that had just come from her mouth. "Please don't do this." She begged, salty tears making their way down her face. "You're better than this."

"I might not be better than this but I know that I'm better than you." His manic voice caused shivers to run up and down Troy's spine. "My parents died. I thought that hurt but this has really finished me off."

Gabriella looked down to the ground before an earth shattering sob was heard from her direction. Troy's heart felt like it was breaking, he could do something, and he had to do something. And he was going to "Ashley, man. Just don't do this. Let Gabriella go okay? We can talk about this."

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME BOLTON? I DON'T WANNA TALK!" Ashley's roar echoed from the walls and Troy began to wonder if anybody had noticed, if anyone had walked past and heard voices. But that was stupid, this was the top floor of the school and hardly anybody had lessons up here, especially at that time.

"Alright. We'll do whatever you want just let her go." Troy had never thought he would be in this situation, his mind cast back to when Chad had asked him if he would ever give up his life for Gabriella and he had replied yes without any hesitation and without any doubt. He just never thought that today would be that day.

Ashley seemed to ponder the idea at first. And then he nodded smugly. "Okay I can do that. You stay where she is though otherwise it's about to get real hot in here."

Troy nodded before quickly rushing over to Gabriella and kissing her on the temple. "Go get someone? Kay?"

Gabriella turned to look at him, his hands reached out and grabbed hers to pull her to her feet, feeling the tingles and sparks produce, maybe for the last time. He didn't want to be morbid but he didn't know what Ashley was going to do. Nor did he want to find out. Gabriella nodded and bit down on her lip. "Troy..."

"Shh, it's okay alright. Just go get someone and it'll all be over." He promised before kissing her on the forehead again. Not even thinking about how that might be affecting Ashley.

"Come on." Ashley sneered and grabbed Gabriella's bare arm and pushed her out of the classroom and then locked the door again. "Now now."

"Look Ashley. I've tolerated you for so long and just because she was there and I don't want her to get hurt but what do you think this is gonna do? Get her back?" Troy interrogated sitting on the chair where Gabriella had previously and if he concentrated hard enough he could smell her intoxicating smell.

"Bolton."

"No. If you think this is gonna get her back then you've got it totally wrong because she's mine now. She never was yours so I suggest you get out of here while you have a chance because you know that she's gonna get somebody right."

"You smug bastard." Ashley insulted while closing his eyes, Troy noted how Ashley must have been mentally kicking himself for letting her go. Well that was his girl. He needed her to get somebody. "I guess we haven't got much time then."

Ashley walked over to Troy quickly and taunted him with the match infront of his face. Troy then swiftly stood up and on impulse he went to grab the match, he grabbed Ashley's arm and began to push it towards the ground as he tried to grab the match quickly. Troy's bulky arm grabbed the small match that was in Ashley's grasp and he held it within his own and quickly used his breath to extinguish the small flame.

Thank god.

"BOLTON!" Ashley roared.

Troy turned his back for a slight second, quick enough to put the match on the window ledge so there would be no change a fire could start. Troy then swiftly turned around to see Ashley reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small box. No. He tried to lunge forward but it was too late the match had been lit and dropped to the ground.

Suddenly an uproar of flames erupted from the floor. And they were all around Troy. His lungs felt like they were burning, well literally they were. He moved up his hand to shield his mouth from the gasses that were coming from the floor. Troy couldn't see anything until a shadow formed infront of his eyes, he then felt a force hit him on the shoulders, catching him off balance, he stumbled backwards further into the room. Now he had to squint his eyes to focus on Ashley leaving the classroom.

Troy had to get out. But there were flames all around him and circling him. Shielding him from where he needed to be. But what was more important? Running through fire or dying in East High. Something he had never wanted for himself. Now Troy was scared. He was absolutely terrified. He was sure that his whole body was shaking as the chairs and cotton wool that was on the desk had been caught up in the fire. Troy's arm was still shielding his mouth but he was still coughing excessively. He couldn't breathe. He needed to get out.

His mind suddenly cast back to when Gabriella had told him that she and Ashley was an item.

"_So I have to tell you something." The junior told him. Her teeth were sunk onto the bottom of her lip, waiting in anticipation. Her hands were clasped together playing with the other fingers. Something she only did when she was nervous or scared. _

"_Okay go..." Troy answered as he pushed the paper that was infront of him out of the way causing a small giggle to come from Gabriella. God how he loved her laugh. _

_He loved everything about her. It had taken him a while to realize how he had felt for her. He loved the way her ebony curls were perfect, she wore very little makeup and she didn't care about what people said about her. He loved the figure that she possessed. It was very hourglass. She had curves in all of the right places and Troy loved it. _

"_Ashley and I are dating." She told him. Troy had felt like somebody had kicked him in the stomach. _

_Within seconds Gabriella was at Troy's side, her legs were folded beneath her and she was facing him, her teeth were sunken into her bottom perfect lip as she looked at him. "Look I know you don't like him infact I know you hate him but I want this to work. So can you please just do this for me?" _

_Troy felt like his tongue had been flipped on its side violently and he couldn't talk. His heart was slowly breaking. But she was his best friend and this proved that she didn't have the feelings for him that he desired. But he should bite his tongue and make sure that Gabriella was happy because if she was happy he was going to be happy. It might take a while but that's what he wanted. Troy smiled to himself before turning to look at her in the eye. _

"_You know I'd do anything for you. And if you want me to grin my teeth and be civil to the bastard then I will."_

_A beam suddenly spurted its way across Gabriella's face, her small thin arms leaped until they were around Troy's neck tightly, squeezing, he loved her hugs. He loved the way he felt when his arms were around her. _

_He just loved her._

They say that your whole life flashes before your eyes before you die, one of the worst days of Troy's life had just flashed before him.

He wasn't going to let anymore.

He gathered his strength from deep down inside of him and he leapt through the flames and out of the classroom. He turned to his left to be greeted by nothing but flames, but to his right it was completely clear.

What other option did he have?

What was Gabriella doing?

Her small frail body was running as fast as it could to try and reach help, she had run all the way along two floors and found that there was nobody teaching. No pupils, no one. Why was it that normally the corridors were filled with people and now there was nobody? Nobody was there to help her. Nobody at all. Not one soul. Gabriella was border line hysterical. She ran down another flight of stairs, almost tumbling and falling flat onto her face.

And then the fire alarm went off.

_No! _That couldn't happen. Gabriella's small fatigued body stopped stunned, she turned around to look back up the stairs to see if there was any sign of anybody. She couldn't get help now. She had to do something else. Troy could be in danger. Ashley could be in danger and it was all because of her. She took a sharp turn and began to run up the stairs as quick as she could. Her breath was coming short. Why did she have to get ill now? Today of all days. The day when the love of her life could potentially be burning right now. Was it a coincidence that the fire alarms had gone off? She didn't think so either. She quickly sprinted and saw that there was fire all the way down the corridor. And she had ran in the petrol when she had scarpered. So if she were to run in the petrol this time she would be in total flames, a split decision caused her to take off the sandals that she was wearing and toss them down the stairs that were infront of her. Gabriella couldn't control the rivers of tears that were scarring her face. She had to get to him.

She had to get to Troy.

Gabriella didn't know what had caused her to feel like she could do this. But she needed to get to him, she needed to see him, she had to save him. If it was the last thing that she did. She sprinted ferociously through the flames feeling them scorch her skin. She was coughing uncontrollably making sharp pains on her throat. She couldn't make out where she was going but she could see in the distance clearing. Gabriella ran as quick as she could through the scorching flames that were burning her feet, burning her skin but it didn't matter as long as she got to him.

"TROY!" Gabriella called through her coughs. "ASHLEY."

And then Gabriella saw the classroom, she tried to see inside but she could see nothing but smoke and orange fire. "TROY! ASHLEY!" Gabriella made her way inside but she was nearly blinded by the heat that overwhelmed her small body. "TROY!" Gabriella made her way further into the classroom until she heard a huge crack coming from above her. Gabriella's stinging eyes looked upwards to see a white beam from the roof hanging down. Her eyes double in fright. Troy wasn't in here. Nobody was in here. She had to get out. She needed to breathe. As she began to shout she couldn't, her whole body was consumed by smoke and fire. She then heard another crack coming from above her, above all of the crackling of the fire.

And then everything went black.

Troy needed to see her.

He had just about made himself outside and he could see groups of people looking up to the top floor of the tall East High campus. He then heard a loud crack of a window breaking, causing him to jump in fright.

"Troy!" A familiar voice rang through Troy's ears. Chad. Hopefully Gabriella was with him. Healthy and all. Well he knew she wasn't healthy because of the illness earlier and the stress of the whole situation she was probably crying in somebody's arms just wishing that he would be there. But he had no idea how wrong he was. "Bolton!"

Troy ran over coughing and spluttering. He then stopped in his tracks and felt Chad's hand come to rest on his back as he began to cough uncontrollably. The clearly air hadn't agreed with him. "Chad.." Troy croaked.

"What the fuck happened?" Chad asked in panic. But Troy didn't care about that.

"Gabi.." Troy began but began coughing again. "Where's Gabriella?"

Chad's eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "Dude.... you haven't seen her?

Shit.

Double shit.

"She's not here?" Troy asked stupidly finally standing up seeing teachers come towards him. His father was no doubt in the midst of them. Chad shook his head slowly. "Fuck. She's still in there."

"Troy what happened?" Chad exclaimed. Chad normally never got scared but since Troy had told Chad he hadn't seen Gabriella he had really seemed like he was absolutely petrified.

"I have to get back in there." Troy then took off.

"TROY"

"MR BOLTON!"

"SON YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"

Troy heard unanimous calls of his name but he couldn't hear them. He knew the fire had spread now because his coughs had become more intense now than they had been prior. Or maybe he just had too much smoke in his lungs. He ran up the stairs as quick as they would take him until he was blinded by the flames on the top floor. Troy hadn't even waited to see if there were any fire trucks or anything outside the school. Anybody to save him, incase Gabriella wasn't there. But if he knew anything about Gabriella he knew that she had gone back up there.

Looking for him.

He felt incredibly guilty. If anything had happened to her he would never have forgave himself. "GABI!" Troy yelled trying to cover his mouth to shield him from coughing but it wasn't working. His body was growing tired, he could feel it. And if he wanted to get out of there conscious he would have to do it sometime soon. "GABI BABY?" Troy continued yelling but he didn't know if she was shouting back because he could barely hear his own voice let alone anybody else's.

He had been stupid, he knew that. He had run in the building thinking he was invincible and that he could save her. But could he? He was trying; he was running as fast as he could but his smoke contaminated lungs couldn't take that much. "GABI COME ON IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, COME TOWARDS MY VOICE."

And then Troy got to the door. He tried to get inside but he couldn't see anything. There were beams all over the floor, everything was on fire.

And then he saw her small body.

Lying there on the floor.

"GABI!" Troy yelled in panic. But she didn't move.

No.

What had happened? How had she ended up like this? He had questions and he needed answers from her. He just needed to hear her voice. Like he had forgotten it. He needed her voice to soothe him and to tell him it was alright. He slowly made his way over to her and saw her lying on her stomach flat on the floor, she was definitely unconscious. Her eyes weren't moving but Troy could still feel her breathe on his cool skin. "Gab, common baby wake up."

His fingers danced over her cheek bones, as he tried to fight the urge to sleep. His body was begging for it. "Gab, come on we gotta get you outta here."

Gabriella groaned a little bit before her eyelids fluttered open slightly before she began to splutter. "Alright alright common." Troy managed to say in a congested voice, unable to stop him from coughing. Troy didn't know whether he should move her or not, incase he made her injuries worse. But what else could he do? He couldn't stay here and wait for someone to rescue them. It didn't work that way. His hand immediately attached to hers and he squeezed it lightly.

"Troy..." Gabriella called his name in a raspy tone, her eyes were half closed. Troy didn't know what her injuries were but he knew he had to get her out of there.

"It's okay baby, it's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here." Troy's hands then began to make their way around Gabriella's fragile body to pick her up.

"Troy, Troy...." Gabriella repeated, her breathing was shallow. Troy could tell she was putting everything she had into breathing. "Can... c..can I tell y..ou something."

Troy shook his head swiftly. "Gab we gotta get you outta here."

"No, let me t....tell you."

Troy nodded his head before pressing his tender lips to her clammy forehead that had a coat of black on the top from the smoke that had collected. "Okay..."

"Chad sp...spilt water o...on m..my pain...painting." Gabriella tried to say before her whole body started convulsing as she was trying to relieve her lungs from the chemicals and harm they had received.

"Did he?" Troy chuckled, just trying to humour her. He really had to get her out of there.

"Troy I'm tired." Gabriella stated before her eyes started to drift close.

"Hey don't do this to me not yet Gabriella."

Gabriella smiled lazily as her eyes closed. "Love...you..."

And then her hand began to lose grip on his.


	8. Secret

**A/N: Hi guys, sorry for the late update this weekends being pretty crazy as I went to see the X factor which was pretty amazing lol. But anyways this is the last chapter here, I felt that I could have gone on but I thought that I would have been over doing it and this seemed like a good place to stop so read on and I'll leave a longer A/N at the bottom :) **

* * *

It took alot to scare Chad Danforth.

He would watch scary movies with Taylor, his girlfriend of two years, every so often and Taylor would be cowering and shaking behind a cushion and Chad would sit and maybe even laugh at a few. Even when people appeared out of nowhere and shocked him. He still wouldn't jump, he wouldn't even flinch. He remembered when he had dislocated his arm when he was thirteen and his older brother had taunted him telling him that it was going to be terrible, that time Chad had gotten a little worked up and he was silently in fear but he wasn't scared. And when the 'nice' nurses had put his arm back into place he hadn't been scared.

But as soon as he saw Troy run back into the burning building for Troy he was absolutely petrified.

His face had paled, his hands had started to shake and he had never wanted to see his best friend and his best friend's girlfriend more than ever. He knew that it was bad, he could just tell, by how the police were there and the fire department had been in the truck one moment and the next they were in the building while receiving a small debriefing from the school staff and then there was waiting.

He had to try his best to pretend that things were okay, he had held a crying Taylor in her arms who had been saying desperately that she needed to know that Gabriella was okay. Sharpay was on the floor cradled in Zeke's arms. Chad had whispered encouraging words to her telling her to calm down, and that it was all going to be fine and that both Gabriella and Troy were going to be okay, but he didn't know whether he was trying to convince Taylor of that or himself. But he had exchanged knowing glances with Zeke knowing that neither of them were sure about what was going to happen.

Minutes had trickled away like sand but it felt like hours had gone by since he had let Troy go back into that building. Why didn't he do something? He should've done something. He should've stopped him from going back inside. He could've done something to prevent this. He didn't even know how it had happened, one second he had been sat in his class and the next the fire alarm had gone off, he had even contemplated not going outside because of how it had always gone off and been a false alarm, he had just been thankful that Taylor had told him to go outside.

But he didn't know what was worse, he had come out or his best friend was still in there.

"It's gonna be okay isn't it..." A vibrating Taylor silently begged him.

Chad just kept his arms wrapped securely around her, her head was in the crook of his neck, he could feel the wet of her salty tears against his skin. "Sssh, of course it is."

But what scared Chad was that he didn't know if it was going to be okay.

* * *

"Gab... Gabriella come on!"

Troy was panicking, his whole body was shaking and he was trying to lift up Gabriella's tiny fragile body carefully without hurting her even more but his body was too physically tired. His eyes stung from having them open for too long, inferno's blazed around him as his lungs felt like they were being severed from him from all of the smoke intake that had poisoned his body. Gabriella's small hand was holding onto his barely, it was like he was trying to squeeze her hand into grasping his but in reality she was grasping on with one finger. Troy placed his face gingerly down to hers to feel her light breathing; it was as if she wasn't there at all.

Troy was scared; he wished somebody was here with him. He had tears roaming freely down his face but half of it was because of the smoke that had hit his eyes. "Gabi baby come on." Troy finally placed his hands under her small legs to lift her from the ground but his body began to stumble as he did so. "Bolton common..." He mumbled while gasping for air and trying to escape the flames that was around him. He stood at the door opening contemplating what he was going to do. He looked to the left and all he saw was flamed but he looked to the right and all he saw was flames.

His breath was shallow, partly because he was so scared and panicking that Gabriella was going to die. Her head was placed on his chest and he could feel warm on his arm where the back of her head was. He hoped that that was just smoke or something but he knew that it was Gabriella's blood. This wasn't good. It wasn't good at all. Her normally ringlet hair was dangling over his bicep matted and full of knots. Her eyes were closed almost blissfully as if she was just sleeping, although her face was covered in black soot.

"Oh god what am I gonna do?" Troy asked himself, his voice was straining from the roughness and scratching he was experiencing on his throat.

Troy didn't have to wait for an answer.

"TROY? GABRIELLA?" There was echo's of his and his girlfriends name that were bouncing from the walls and Troy even had to think that he was hallucinating and then he saw almost in slow motion tall men running towards the two of them holding what looked like tanks in their hands. Troy suddenly began to feel light headed; the world began to spin until the men stood infront of him.

"Troy?" One of the men said, he had a hard hat on his head and Troy couldn't even make out what colour they were. Troy nodded his heavy head as he felt a weight being lifted from his arms, that weight being Gabriella. Troy's azure's shot down immediately as she was being transformed from his arms.

"What are you doing?" Troy almost whispered while he saw Gabriella's small, lifeless body being cradled in two stronger arms, stronger than his. And then another man nodded at the one who had Gabriella in his arms. And then he began to walk away. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Troy almost screamed.

Two strong hands braced his shoulders forcing him to look up into the owner's eyes. "Troy listen, she's hurt okay? They're gonna try and get her out as quickly as possible. Okay son?"

Troy nodded although he felt like his head was falling from his shoulders; he should've just taken Gabriella home himself when she refused. If he would have been more forceful with her none of this would have happened. And that's when Ashley came to his mind.

Troy knew that he had problems, he knew that he had separation issues or whatever they called it and he knew that he worshipped the ground that Gabriella walked on, he was sure that if Gabriella would have told him to kiss her feet he would have done gladly. And Troy also knew that what they had done was wrong, he knew that he and Gabriella had done a terrible thing, betraying Ashley like that even though he had always disliked him. And Troy also knew that he was hurting but to hurt that much that he had to have resorted to basically saying that if Ashley couldn't have Gabriella nobody can was a little extreme in his opinion.

Minutes had passed and before Troy knew it he was back on the ground seeing everybody staring at him, he didn't care about them though. He needed to see Gabriella, he had to. His heart was racing; he didn't know where she was. She had been taken from him and he didn't want to let her go. She was hurt and he wasn't there to comfort her. He had tried to save her but it hadn't been enough.

And then he saw Chad running towards him, his face was as white as a ghost as he swallowed hard. Troy was stationed sitting down with a blanket wrapped around him and an oxygen mask on his face allowing him to breathe. From what Troy could remember the fire people had told him that they were to take him to hospital as soon as they could.

"Troy..." Chad began before Troy shook his head.

He pulled the oxygen mask from his face and his tired eyes looked to Chad's face. "Gabriella..." He tried to sing her name like she deserved but it came out as a croak. But as soon as the last syllable had left Troy's tongue, Chad's face fell even more if that was possible. Terror was written all over his face. "Just tell me she's alright..." He croaked again.

At this point Chad sat down next to him followed by Sharpay, Taylor and Zeke who he didn't know was there. "They took her in the ambulance. They said she was hurt."

Troy closed his eyes in pain. Not what he wanted to hear at all. "She'll be okay Troy." Zeke informed him with a genuine look washed over his face; he nodded his head in the process.

"TROY!" A familiar voice boomed through his ears causing Troy to nearly buckle and begin to shake, Troy then focussed on his father who was rushing towards him like a mermaid to the sea. "Troy!" Jack then perched down infront of his son who was still holding the oxygen mask securely around his face wondering about Gabriella. She had to be okay, he would never have forgiven himself if she wasn't. "God Troy what happened?"

Troy lazily pointed to the inferno that was the school before looking back into his father's concerned eyes. "Burning building dad."

Jack then playfully swiped his son's arm that was covered by a beige coloured blanket. "Seriously Troy you could have gotten yourself killed do you know that? Your mother's on the way down to the hospital. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Gabriella." Troy just spoke he name and Jack nodded in understanding.

* * *

Troy hated waiting.

Whenever he complained about waiting Gabriella would always say "but you're always waiting for something." And in ways she was right because in reality when you get up in the morning you are waiting to go back to bed the next night. You wait to go to the toilet for the next time but it was the little things about waiting that got on Troy's last nerve. Like waiting for a cab, Troy was lucky that he had his own car but before that and he had to wait on cabs or if he was going to a party he would use a cab. Other things that he hated waiting for was waiting for Gabriella to wake up at that very instant.

He had never needed to hear her voice so much. He never wanted her last words to be to him love you. He wanted to hear her complain to him about how insane Ashley was. He needed to hear her voice. Even if it was for just one last time. Currently he was sitting in the hospital waiting area, around 6 hours had passed and Troy had been checked over and they had insisted that he should have stayed the night but Troy didn't want to. He knew Gabriella would be scared, and he had to be there for her. Her mother and father had been distraught; they were in her hospital room next to her as only immediate family were meant to be there.

He hadn't heard anything since Chad had told her that they had taken her into the hospital and Troy had just sat on a chair waiting. And like he said, he hated it. Ghosts of Mr and Mrs Montez's figures appeared in the doorway with tired and concerned eyes looking at Troy. "Troy we're gonna head home for a shower and get some clean clothes. So will you stay with her?"

Troy immediately felt a surge in his heart at the thought of seeing her. He nodded so rapidly he thought his head was going to fall off. "Of course I will."

Maria smiled in gratification to Troy although she looked exhausted. "Um, what did they say was wrong with her?"

"They said that she had a lack of oxygen in her blood and some toxic substances in her lungs and she hit her head so..." Mr Montez trailed off with a small smile on his face. "But don't worry she's gonna be fine."

Troy smiled a smile so bright that it would have illuminated the sun of course Mr and Mrs Montez only thought that Gabriella and Troy were best friends but in time he wanted them to know about the two of them. He knew that Mr and Mrs Montez treat him like a son and loved him like a son aswell but he also didn't know how they would feel with Gabriella and he telling them that they were having sex and involved on a deeper level. Mr Montez had never liked Ashley at first, Mr Montez had given him his warnings and then whenever Ashley would visit Gabriella and Mr Montez would warm to him more every time. But he also knew that Mr Montez was very, very protective over his little girl and no doubt he would have something to say when they found out.

"Can I?" Troy asked before the two of them nodded their head. Troy followed the two of them down the long wide corridor down, falling behind the two of them who were walking in sync with their hands locked together. And then they came to a door.

Mr Montez pushed the door open slightly before giving Troy a slight nod to go inside. "Go on son, we'll be back soon."

Troy silently walked inside and he stopped in his steps when he saw her usual gorgeous face. Of course to him it was still gorgeous but so different. Her hair was tied back out of sight. And around her head was a white bandage. Her thin arms were draped over the cover that shielded her body from him. Her face had small cuts over it and there was still a little bit of black on her face that hadn't been cleaned properly. Her head was turned to the side facing him and she had an oxygen mask on her face providing her with the oxygen that she had lost while being trapped in the fire. Her skin was pale, but not as pale as it was when he had first found her in the building.

Her small chest was rising up and down and up and down. Troy finally found the courage to sit down next to her and touch her hand, he felt as though she was going to break if he pressed too hard. His fingers then touched her head and began to move them down and around her face.

Troy didn't know what had happened to Ashley, he hadn't taken the time to ask. He didn't believe that Ashley was worth the time to ask. Yeah Troy knew that Ashley was hurt and that he had some issues that he had to work through but to maliciously hurt Gabriella like that, the girl he was meant to love? Troy could take Ashley wanting to hurt him but not Gabriella.

"Hey baby, you gotta wake up for me you know that right? You know I hate waiting." He laughed at the memories of himself getting annoyed at waiting and when Gabriella told him that he was crazy. "But like you said I'm always waiting for something and right now I'm waiting for you to wake up. I need to hear your voice and I need to hear your laugh and I just need you." Troy told her, getting tears in his eyes.

Troy didn't know how much time had passed, he was sure it must have been about an hour, but one of his hands was holding Gabriella's and the other hand was stroking the skin on Gabriella's face and running down her bare arms. He could have sworn he had felt her hand twitch in his a few times but then he just put it down to his imagination, wanting her to wake up so much that he had imagined her fingers twitching within his grasp.

And then she opened her eyes.

Troy didn't know what told him to look up into her eyes but he did. He then let out a breath of relief. Gabriella's hand unlatched from his earning a look of confusion from Troy and her hands pulled the oxygen mask from her face and immediately she began wheezing.

"Troy!" Gabriella almost shouted before Troy pushed his index finger up to his mouth to silence her although he did feel a smirk creep onto his face but there was panic written in her eyes. Troy pushed his thin lips to Gabriella's forehead and held them there for a few seconds so he could inhale her scent, although it was masked by the smell of hospitals, it was still there.

"Sssh it's okay."

"Troy what happened?" Gabriella asked her voice in panic. "What am I doing here?"

Troy noted the shortness of her breathing and pulled the oxygen mask down to cover her nose and mouth where it once was. "You hit your head. And the ambulance brought you here. Calm down Gab? I don't want you passing out on me again."

At this point a small smile broke from Gabriella's lips and then she pointed down to her heart and pointed it in Troy's direction. Troy leaned down and pressed his lips to Gabriella's forehead again. "I love you too."

* * *

Days had passed and Gabriella hadn't slept in days. She hadn't slept since the night before the fire. She had tried to sleep and her body was physically begging for rest but nightmares were plaguing her dreams. Plaguing her from getting the rest that she needed. The rest that she deserved. Her friends had been invited to her home as a 'welcome home' gathering but Gabriella didn't really want to be there. She did because they were her friends and she knew that they had experienced extreme worry when she had been inside the school while it was burning. And she had never wanted to put them through that, the only thing she couldn't imagine was if the roles had been reversed. She didn't know how much worry she would have been experiencing.

But Troy had his arms around her at that moment in time and that made everything better. Her head rested on his chest as the rest of her body leaned on his, her legs were bent up so that they could fit on the couch and Troy's arm was wrapped securely around her and his other hand was locked with hers, his thumb stroking her knuckle.

"I never fucking liked the guy." Sharpay's high pitched tone insulted as she ran her hands through her brunette hair. "I always knew he was trouble."

"Shar." Troy warned.

"What so you knew that he was gonna set fire to our school?" Taylor asked with a lazy smile on her face. Although it was too soon to hear jokes about it to Gabriella.

"Well I didn't mean that I just..." Sharpay began.

"Guys." Gabriella halted them as all eyes turned to look at her. "I don't mean to be bitchy but I don't care about him now. He's getting help, he's where he belongs. I just wanted to spend time with you guys, I wanna be here with you guys." Gabriella referenced to how Ashley had been assessed by psychologists and psychiatrists to get to the bottom of his behaviour. Gabriella still did feel guilty about what she had done but that didn't matter now. Ashley would be getting all the help healing emotionally while she would be doing the healing emotionally healing from the stress of the fire and physically from the burns that she had experienced that were on her left arm.

"I get that." Taylor commented.

"Yeah I'm sorry." Sharpay informed genuinely.

"See that's the way to do it. We all have each other and that's all that matters right?" Chad's enthusiastic voice rang through Gabriella's ears. Gabriella responded by nodding her head.

"Gabi are you okay do you need anything? Your father and I are just gonna go out for some food." Her mother's gentle voice asked her. Gabriella had been becoming annoyed with how clingy and protective her parents had been of her but she just thought back to Ashley and wondering whether he had been like he was with her because he hadn't had any parents so she had decided not to take anything for granted anymore.

Gabriella decided that it was a new start for her now. She was going to be a different person, the whole experience had taught her that she had to put herself first before other people how she had put Ashley before her own feelings and look how that had ended up with her burning in a building because of the intensity of his feelings for her. She had also decided that she was going to learn how to control her temper because her temper had gotten her to cheat on Ashley in the first place. Not that she had ever regretted being with Troy, not for one second. But because of the intensity of her temper it had pushed her away from Ashley. And that was something that she was going to work on and was going to resolve.

"No mom I'm good." Gabriella responded with a small smile.

"Okay honey. Bye guys." Gabriella noted how Troy tensed up slightly when Gabriella's father walked into the room.

Troy and Gabriella had both sat down with Gabriella's parents and told the two of them about the situation and why Ashley had done what he did and now how they were dating and were very much in love. At first Gabriella knew that Troy felt like her father was going to kill him and dissect him into little pieces but then her parents had overcome it and become happy that Gabriella and Troy were dating.

Minutes had passed and the rest of the gang were sat talking about things, not talking about the fire anymore though because they didn't want to hurt either Troy or felt content. Both she and Troy were sat in silence, before she decided to end it. "Everything's gonna be okay isn't it?" She whispered.

Troy lowered his lips and connected them with her forehead closing his eyes to enjoy the moment. "Everything is gonna be fine. I promise. Love you."

Gabriella smiled. "Love you too."

Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton had a secret.

It was something that they carried with them every day.

Only it wasn't a secret anymore.

* * *

**A/N: Okay guys yes it's over I know but there was something I didn't really like about this chapter don't know what though. But for the next 2 weeks or so I'm going to take them off from writing like a mini holiday so I'm going to get all of my thoughts together for my new story. I haven't thought of a name for it yet but I'll just let you know now that it's going to be alot different than the last 2 stories I've written, it's going to be deeper and it's going to literally be emotionally draining. I've had it in my head for a couple of months now and I've just been researching it and stuff like that SO, if you haven't got me on author alert make sure you do it so you can read the story when it comes out, it may even be the end of this week because I'm off college now etc so I have alot of spare time on my hands lol. Anyways spare the life story for you. I hope you've enjoyed this story :) Thanks for reading it and thanks for the support! And stay tuned for the new story :)**


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